Moriarty reviews the script to STAR WARS EPISODE ONE

A few days ago I saw a posting by Moriarty on the page where I had posted the opening crawl, and he sounded down about the whole Star Wars thing. His soul seemed to be... wearing thin. For lack of better words, "I found his lack of faith disturbing". So I detached the can from my wall with the admantium alloy wire running straight to Moriarty's labs and I called. He was grumbling about how depressed he was. How the world sucked, and he was going to just destroy it. You see, he had twice now gone into the future and has been unable to attend a screening due to the sold out performances. That's when I told him to seek out the script, fully illustrated at the local bookstores. The old gaslamp above his noggin began to glow.

There are only 3 people I personally know currently, that have read the entire script to STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: These are MILO, MORIARTY and Myself. And only Milo and Moriarty have copies. But I want to say right now, I am in complete agreement with Moriarty on his assessment of the script. He called me about 9 hours ago... breathless... fevered... And in awe. He had watched the trailer 20 times since reading it, and he was mirroring my feelings upon seeing it the first time. Knowing the context to every frame... it produces a complet feeling of JOY. Pure unadulterated JOY.

George Lucas did it on the written page, and I haven't seen anything that would make me believe he didn't do it on the big screen. In fact, every frame of the trailer was better than the written version. (Jar Jar's zapped with electricity shot... originally it was his... posterior) So without further ado, I turn you over to MORIARTY. Unlike Jeffery Wells, this report is based on FACTS, it is based on the opinions by a person who has in fact read the material he is judging. Jeffery brainfarted that article on MR SHOWBIZ, and I for one will not hesitate for a second calling him on it this May. There are a few spoilers below... but not many. And now... here's Moriarty....

Hey, Head Geek...

“Moriarty” here.

Let me start off by saying that Jeffrey Wells had better watch out. He
just bumped Sherlock Holmes himself off my the top slot of my enemies
list. The last thing you want to do is piss off an Evil Genius with
unlimited resources and an excellent long-term memory, but that’s just
what Wells has done with a column of his on the Mr. Showbiz site called
“Murray Flurry.”

I’ll give him credit for the conceit behind his article... he acts as if
it’s the beginning of the year 2000, and he’s writing his “look back” at
1999. That’s a great way to lay out what the year has in store. The
problem is that he then hands out negative reviews to films that aren’t
finished. In particular, Wells picks THE PHANTOM MENACE as the year’s
biggest disappointment. He cites the weak script and kiddie tone as big
problems, with giving a grudging nod to the pod race scene.

I understand that what he’s doing is fiction, but it’s irresponsible and
confusing. Already I’ve come across plenty of people on Usenet who are
asking when Wells saw the movie. “What, are they showing it to critics
now? What’s wrong with it? Why is it bad?” Let me make something
perfectly clear to everyone -- Jeffrey Wells has not seen the movie.

In fact, I’m willing to bet based on his comments that he doesn’t have
any knowledge about the film beyond what’s readily available to the rest
of you on this site and DARK HORIZONS, JEDI.NET, COUNTINGDOWN, COMING
ATTRACTIONS... I mean, let’s face it. Anyone with a good web browser
and a little free time can find out pretty much everything there is to
find out about the film. The Virtual Edition does a nice job of laying
out the major story beats (although there’s some very glaring sequencing
orders, Roderick... we should talk). Even with all the details out
there, though, Lucas has managed to keep his secrets.

All these details taken out of context have had an interesting effect on
the fan community. It seems to me that people are seizing upon this
detail or that one and becoming fixated, and they have started to focus
huge amounts of negativity at the film as a whole, and I find it
puzzling. I will confess to you, Harry, that I’ve seen more than I’ve
let on up till now. You’ve had other spies that have covered the film
and I’ve been happy to stay silent about hearing John Williams’ “Naboo
Theme” or the voices of Watto and Jar Jar or sifting through stacks of
Doug Chiang designs or hearing Ben Burtt’s thoughts on editing the
film’s action scenes. I figured I’d see it here soon enough, and that
people were enjoying the trailer and why spoil things?

But these last few weeks have changed that for me. It seems that fans
are on the verge of a backlash towards the anticipation for the film,
and I want to warn against it. Still, without seeing the film, my voice
is just more speculation, right? For that reason, I got my time machine
out of the research lab, where we’ve been trying to eliminate some of
the trauma involved with the actual moment of transport. The date
target system has also been refined somewhat, and I was able to set it
for “May 22 99”. I figured opening day would be a zoo, and later in the
weekend would still allow me the maximum experience.

The good news is that we’ve got the date thing worked out. The bad news
is that the landing hurts even worse than it did before. With one of my
ears bleeding, I stumbled out of the Moriarty Labs using a secret tunnel
that opens into the Hollywood and Highland Metrolink exit and headed for
the Chinese box office.

Let me warn you all right now -- however bad you think lines are going
to be that first weekend, you have no idea. It was only 11:00, but all
the shows through the 3:00 a.m. Monday (looks like the first week is all
24 hours a day!!) were sold out. The time machine only has a 10 hour
battery, so I had to either find a show somewhere in town or go back
empty handed. I went to a newsstand a few blocks east of the theater to
find an LA WEEKLY and check out the theater listings. As I was standing
there, I spotted a large trade paperback behind the register with the
final release poster for THE PHANTOM MENACE on the cover (very cool,
btw). I picked it up, a little nervous, knowing that there would be all
sorts of day and date goodies worth having. As soon as I read the words
“THE ILLUSTRATED SCREENPLAY” on the cover, my head got light. I had no
choice in the matter really. I barely remember taking out my wallet,
paying for the book, heading back to the labs. All I can come up with
when I think back is that cover, not being able to take my eyes off of
it.

I called around, found out the film was sold out everywhere in town --
in literally every theater I called that I could have gotten to in the
allowed time -- and finally accepted that I’m probably going to have to
wait just as long as the rest of you. There’s one difference between us
now, though. You see, I brought the script back with me...

... and I’ve read it. Every word.

There’s a reproduction of the original hand-typed title page, when the
script was still called THE BEGINNING. The draft is listed as the May
13, 1997 Third Draft (revised June 6, 1997). I guess this is the actual
final production draft, since it’s the one Lucasfilm published. I know
this -- every moment in the trailer is in the script, word for word. It
was strange to come across moments like the scene on the Senate Landing
Platform, as Anakin stands off to one side watching Artoo while Qui-Gon
and Obi-Wan argue about the boy’s fate. Reading Obi-Wan’s “The boy is
dangerous...they all sense it. Why can’t you?” in context gave me
chills. In fact, if there’s any one word that sums up why my reading of
the script rocked me so hard, it would be that one -- context.

Let go of your ideas of what the film is going to be, everyone. You
can’t be like Jeffrey Wells and walk into this ready to hate it. You
can’t possibly know how textured and wonderful the story Lucas has to
tell is going to be. The thing that makes THE PHANTOM MENACE possibly
my favorite STAR WARS story so far (on paper, mind you) is the details.
The time off has done something unexpected to Lucas as a storyteller --
it made him better. Considering how he’s always doubted himself as a
writer, I think it showed remarkable confidence in not putting this
script through another writer, someone who might have diluted our return
to this place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Even the
wonderful Frank Darabont would have diluted it, simply because what we
got wouldn’t be pure Lucas anymore. It’s remarkable to read the actual
words Lucas put on paper. There’s just enough on the page to get the
actors moving, but he doesn’t really describe the world. What’s there
is just raw STAR WARS, straight from the tap -- the characters and how
they relate. That’s enough, though, because these are real characters
that are instantly iconic, but also truly human.

How can I allay your nerves about the film without ruining it for you?
See, I’m not going to indulge in major spoilers here. I know, I know...
there’s going to be people in TALK BACK who are going to demand angrily
that I have to post the script, that it’s my obligation. I won’t do it,
though, for three reasons. One, it’s not mine to post. It belongs to
George Lucas and Lucasfilm until release. After that, we’ll all have it
internalized, and we’ll be free to examine all the minutiae of the film.
Until then, that’s private property, and I’m going to choose not to
tread too heavily. It’s called respect, people. Second, I chose to
read the script. If I post it in a public forum, that choice will
vanish for a lot of people because those of you who read it will find a
way to start tossing the biggest spoilers out there in the wrong way,
ruining it for others. It’s inevitable. It’s been proven time and time
again. I wrestled with how to discuss the impressions I have of the
script, and how to explain my new confidence in the film.

I decided that first I’d address the film’s major characters, giving my
impressions of how they’re handled.

QUI-GON JINN

I like this guy a lot. He’s the exact kind of guy I pictured when
thinking about other Jedi Knights when I was younger. He’s charismatic,
forceful, in full control of his Jedi abilities, and unequaled in
battle. We get a real living, breathing portrait of the best the Jedis
had to offer with his character in this film. I’m betting that Neeson
is a superstar after this film. This may well turn out to be the role
he was born to play.

OBI-WAN KENOBI

It’s official. Ewan McGregor is the luckiest bastard on the planet.
It’s okay to hate him, everybody. This guy is ferociously talented,
has
an astounding range as an actor, is fearless on film, and has the best
role in the three films. Although the whole series will focus on the
fall and redemption of Anakin, it’s Ben who really haunts the films, and
not just after his “death” on the Death Star. He’s kept in the
background for the first half of this film and he’s always in the shadow
of his teacher, Qui-Gon, but the seeds of real sadness are laid here.
Kenobi is the one, after all, who tried to stand against the Jedi, only
to lose Anakin to the Dark Side. His error of pride leads to untold
suffering. I’ve always wanted to know why he would do it in the first
place. Now that I know... I can’t wait to see the Shakespearean level
tragedies that Lucas plans to heap on poor Obi-Wan’s head in the next
two.

JAR JAR BINKS

Probably the most debate I’ve read so far about the film centers around
this all CG character and his role in the film. The idea of doing a
fully-animated character is an obvious one... of course Lucas is going
to be the guy to try and push that envelope. The question many people
have is will Jar Jar work as a character, or is he going to be lame
comic relief, a gimmick that will be embarrassing in a decade. I am
delighted to report that Jar Jar not only works, but that the Gungans
are, as a whole, a welcome addition to the mythology of the STAR WARS
universe. Jar Jar is an exile from the other Gungans because he’s
clumsy. Not just a little, either, but monumentally so. Once Jar Jar
meets the Jedi, though, that trait begins to pay off, with Jar Jar
mistakenly bumbling his way out of danger and up the chain of command
until he ends up a general in the film’s final battle. This works well
in the script. Jar Jar is funny, but the humor in 1977’s A NEW HOPE is
one of that film’s strong points. This script balances the humor with
honest, direct writing that gives Jar Jar (dare I say?) a soul. He may
be a sidekick, but here’s betting that Jar Jar Binks becomes one of the
biggest EPISODE I stars once audiences get their real introduction.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

God, I love this kid. It makes me feel sick from grief when I realize
that he’s going to be Darth Vader someday, hated, feared, a symbol of
evil. This kid is a good, pure spirit, beloved by the people around
him. As Jira, a merchant in Mos Espa who is friends with Anakin, says
as Anakin’s leaving Tatooine, “There isn’t a kinder boy in the galaxy.”
That giving, open nature of his is what brings him together with Qui-Gon
in the first place. Seeing little Annie (his nickname in the movie) in
this film already changes everything in terms of how I think of the
other movies. I can see Darth Vader as the tragic figure he really is
now. That great image on the teaser poster and banner is the only trace
we’ll see of Vader in this film. When the credits roll, Anakin will be
a hero, a pilot, a Jedi to be. This is the time when everything looks
bright for him. By the end of that third film, this image of Anakin
will be heartbreaking. Excellent work in writing him. With so little
of Jake Lloyd’s performance available, it’s impossible to judge how
he’ll do. I like his scenes with Pernilla August in the trailer,
though, and I’m rooting for him. If he works, this will be one of the
most textured kids roles in history.

DARTH SIDIOUS/DARTH MAUL

They are worthy. They are more than worthy. They are true villains.
Sidious appears only to the leaders of the Naboo invasion, Nimoudians
named Nute and Rune. He’s a figure of quiet menace, discussing strings
that are to be pulled, plans that are in motion. When Darth Maul
finally shows up, he’s been built up as a real threat. He’s like a pit
bull, held back on a leash until the perfect moment, then finally set
loose as a force of pure destruction. His two major lightsaber battles
should be spectacular onscreen. On the page, they’re intense,
emotionally written. They’re not just empty action. There’s important
things going on here. These characters are far more threatening than
the middle management uniformed faces of the original three films. This
is real evil pressing hard to take over, to shape the world around it.
What seems to be a dispute over taxation on Naboo is instead the
linchpin for something far more important, grandly scaled. By showing
us Vader’s human face and introducing characters like this, Lucas is
redefining the parameters of how Dark the Dark Side can be with these
films.

ARTOO DETOO

Man, oh, man, oh, man, do I love Artoo’s introduction in the film. I’m
so happy this isn’t common knowledge yet, and I don’t plan to be the one
to destroy it here. Suffice it to say that audiences will come to their
feet when our favorite astromech finally shows up. Throughout the film,
he is the same character we’ve always loved. Lucas may have given
Threepio the shaft in terms of overall screentime, but I actually prefer
it this way. Artoo has always been more interesting on his own, just
hanging with Luke.

MINOR CHARACTERS

We all have our favorite -- Wedge, Porkins, Piet, Madine, Mon Mothma --
and this film will give us a number of new candidates for favorite
supporting character. Captain Panaka, Ric Olie, Nute Gunray, Sio
Bibble, Sebulba, Watto, Ki-Adi-Mundi... these are all names I can’t wait
to put to performances. Some of them, of course, don’t exist at all,
but if ILM has done its job properly, we won’t notice. They’ve all got
interesting quirks and traits. It doesn’t feel like the Muppet parade
that ROTJ became at times, either. The human characters have been cast
with interesting familiar faces (Ralph Brown, who’s playing Ric Olie, is
simply brilliant in WITHNAIL & I, a film you must see immediately) as
well as promising unknowns. The great thing about all the photos we’ve
seen from the film is that they feel like STAR WARS, and these
characters all read like a perfect fit for the world we know and love.

PALPATINE and CHANCELLOR VALORUM

It took me a couple of readings to decide what I thought of the film’s
take on Galactic politics. It’s tricky material. Too much detail, and
it’s going to be dry, uninvolving. Too simple and it belies the
complexity of any real government. Lucas has written a believable, easy
to understand story of behind the scenes intrigue. Palpatine isn’t a
one-note villain. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to point at anything he
does in the film that isn’t done in the name of saving Naboo, doing
right by the planet he represents. Still, Valorum is railroaded by a
master manipulator, and Terrence Stamp should be fascinating to see
here. As iconic as “Kneel before Zod” has become, this may be the role
that earns Stamp his permanent place in genre history.

Having laid that out, let me make a few general observations about the
script’s overall arc and the major sequences in it.

THE OPENING

How the hell do you start the first STAR WARS film in 16 years? With a
bang. This film gets moving quickly and never really slows down. To
anyone concerned that there won’t be enough excitement in the film, you
can definitely rest easy. Lucas has kept his promise that he will show
us the Jedi in their prime. Obi-Wan may still just be a Padawan learner
in this film, but he’s able to match Qui-Gon for intensity when the big
fight moments come. Before you know it, we’re on Naboo, we’re fighting
Battle Droids, we’re in Otoh Gunga, we’re in Theed, and we’re off again.
It would be easy to bury the audience in exposition, but Lucas’s gift as
a storyteller is evident from his masterful handling of this material.
As I read the script aloud to a friend, the Williams scores playing on
CD in the background, I could feel the adrenaline rush that is built
into this thing. On film, it should leave us breathless.

THE JEDI COUNCIL

I think the material about Anakin and Qui-Gon’s quest to bring young
Skywalker to the Force is great. It doesn’t dominate the movie, but
it’s definitely at the heart of it. These scenes are in direct
counterpoint to the scenes of the Galactic Senate in full debate. One
is a million voices arguing, at odds, and the other is a dozen voices
speaking as one. There’s a sense of the Jedi as a moral authority
rather than a governing one. Lucas doesn’t give us a lot of hokey
ritual, either. The Council is more like a philosophical think-tank.
It’s nice stuff, and it really lays out who they are for the next films.

THE RESOLUTION

This is the perfect way to end this first film, this "Beginning." What
surprised me most is how intimate it all is. This isn't a sprawling
epic... yet. This is the groundwork for the next two films, and Lucas
has tipped his sympathies early on. The new technology is nice, but
these films feel more like your average indie than a studio action
blockbuster. Yes, there's a space battle here. Yes, there's a
lightsaber duel of monumental proportions. But this film ends with the
people, and the most fascinating thing here is the place they seem to be
heading. You thought it was hard waiting for this one? The three years
to EPISODE 2 is going to kill you.

In the end, there’s so much more that I think and feel about this script
that I’m going to have to cut it short for fear of crossing some line
and saying too much. You have to take these next 130 days or so in
stride, friends. The wait is almost over. You are going to be rewarded
for your wait in ways that you can’t imagine. If you’re willing to let
Lucas take you back to this magical place he’s created, you’re going to
be transported all over again. I hope my words here help make this last
stretch bearable. I hope my words here rekindle your flagging faith in
the film. Most of all, though, I hope my words here reach the eyes of
George Lucas so I can be among the first to tell him, from the bottom of
my heart...

Nice work, guys. I'm getting that special swelling of excitement I got when I heard about "Oh my God" and when I saw the trailer. IT'S GETTING CLOSER!!
By the way, I'm sure that the reason Anakin turns to the dark side is the years and years of people calling him a girl's name. Quite understandable, really!

That is an exceptionally well written piece.
Now, can we please bury it all, leave Episode One to be some kind of a surprise.
I think we know enough - possibly too much, but lets try and catch that bizarre moment of awe we all had as kids seeing this new thing called Star Wars, back when we didn`t have a clue about any of it.
If we investigate and report too much, we`ll never get that same thrill (no matter how much we pretend)
P.S. FAO George Lucas, PLEASE DONT FORGET ENGLAND LIKE YOU SEEM TO HAVE - 2 MONTHS WAIT BETWEEN THE US AND UK RELEASE IS A F***ING NIGHTMARE. DONT DO IT, I REPEAT DO NOT DO IT (come on, you owe so much to us Brits)

Thank you for putting things in perspective. And thank you for not blowing any real secrets. Very classy. I've never lost faith in Ep1. ability to delight me next May yet I too have been dismayed by all this second guessing of minutia. We'll just have to wait to see befor we judge this film. But I am sure that even after the release there will still be people who make a point of not liking it to show how sophisticated they are (read with sarcasm). But I saw Star Wars in 1977 at the age of 7 (the perfect age) and I know what Star Wars is really about and I have faith.

...I thought he wasn't recording anything until February? But then again, I did hear something about him seeing a cut of the film in November, so I guess he could have scored some since then...either way, I so much want to hear that music...the old themes, the new themes...ahhhh. ...also, I'm interested in how these lucky few have access to The Script. Harry had it a long while ago, but had to give it back, right? Did he photocopy it or something? Ah well...not that long 'til June 3rd (australian release)...I can wait. Maybe.

There is a lot of worry about fans reading the script in advance. Quite frankly, as long as no one is yelling (during other than the opening crawl, or during cool action shots) during the actual viewing of the movie, it ain't spoiled for me.
I remember when the comic adaptation of ROTJ came out before the film release. My dad (passed away last year) had gone to gas up the cars, and had come back with the Marvel Super special of ROTJ. They were just pulling them off the shelves by request from Lucasfilm because they had come out early, and dad knowing what a Star Wars fan I am, got me one. I didn't know whether I should read it, or WAAAIIT until the movie came out. Mom said I couldn't read it until I did my algebra homework. I was in Pure Agony for a hour, until it was done. The temptation was too great,I decided to read it. Did it spoil the movie for me? Well, it spoiled plot points OF the movie, certainly. I knew "what" was going to happen. I knew now that Luke and Leia were brother and sister. But did it SPOIL the MOVIE for me? Nuh-uh. No matter how much I read, or knew about the movie, it didn't compare with the actual Viewing of the movie. (actually the flippin' teddy bears of Endor spoiled the movie for me, but I won't go there...)

Ok, is it just me that is about to burst in some emotional form? I mean... damn, this is gonna rock. As far as the 3 years till Episode 2 go, I'm not worried too much because I think this new-found hype will have a long lasting effect in the theaters (better than Titanic, I'm sure).
I've heard John Williams is doing the score, but is there any word on the mainstream music scene that is trying to get some sort of GenX-StarWars sound track together?? I hope not.

Lucas doesn't us the British anything. When Lucas filmed the first 3 Star Wars movies (Episodes 4, 5 & 6) the British
film crew said the movies they were working on were crap and
unworthy of their talent and didn't like being bossed around by some young American filmmaker. No wonder Lucas has decided to make Episodes 2 and 3 someplace else besides England. Maybe Aussies
are nicer people than the mean
nasty Brits, the same people who
did not applaud, did not cheer
when they saw the Episode 1 trailer...unlike us Americans who did applaud and cheer. We U.S.A
folks love Star Wars. Unlike say, you Brits who do not applaud or cheer their first wonderful eye-opening look at Episode 1 but instead greeted it with the dull boring who-cares-about-Star-Wars response.
As for Episode 1's script,
I love Lucas and Episode 1 is way up high and close to my heart in
the list of films I want to see
the most in 1999...but when I hear this talk of Lucas is doing this for himself and not you and for us (the audience, true film geeks) to
get rid of any pre-conceived notions you have about the film...well.
I remember back in May 18, 1998
when I went see at the Uptown movie theater, the restored director's cut The Wild Bunch film at the WB Festival and I was worried. I was worried and ashamed because at the same time, I would be watching this film,
I would be missing the final episode of Seinfeld.
I was afraid, I would miss the final episode of my favorite sitcom and would have to have the humiliation of being the only person who had not seen what was surely one of the greatest and funniest Seinfeld episodes of all-time. After all, Larry David,
beloved co-creator of the series
and the guiding light behind some
of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld (The Invitations which he had written was my favorite and the first Seinfeld episode which I watched and had turned me into a life-long lover and consistent watcher of the sitcom).
Larry David has risen from a long
retirement and was sure to have written a good and maybe very good great final wonderful hilarious
wild wacky non-stop laughing very funny final episode of Seinfeld.
The genius of Seinfeld which had been missing from the last 2 years would return and the finale was sure to be Seinfeld at it's best,
or so I thought. At least that's what me and everybody else, both fans and non-fans of Seinfeld thought come May 18, 1998.
But I saw The Wild Bunch, anyway that night and missed seeing the final episode of Seinfeld. I loved the movie, one the great Westerns. But the next day, on the street as I walked I found I did not get as I had thought people coming up to me and saying last night, I had missed Seinfeld's greatest funniest episode last night but people telling me how bad and how terrible it was. How it could have been better and was one of the year's biggest disappointments.
Last year, Seinfeld, Larry David,
Jerry Seinfeld & the rest of the cast let me down.
Those few which liked the finale said people would have liked it more if they hadn't had any "pre-conceived notions of
the film" and if they had only realized "Larry David is doing and wrote the final episode for himself and not you (a.k.a.
the audience and fans)"
Will George Lucas & Co. let me
down come May 21, 1999 ? I very much hope to God not and pray they won't let me down.
As for Jeffery Wells' column,
you gotta admit, he's right about Eyes Wide Shut. People will either
love or hate that film. There will be a great controversy about it and discussions about it will rage on into 2000. Some will herald it as the greatest film of 1999 and others will despise it to hell as the worst film of 1999.
That one prediction of Mr. Wells, above whatever else he's predicted will come true come July 16, 1999. I bet $15 dollars everything Wells said about EWS = all of the talk that will ensure from having the movie finally released this summer will come true.
Anyone care to make a bet with me and maybe win those $15 dollars if I'm wrong ?
Moriarty is that you ? :)

Look I am a very big Star Wars fan...When I was younger I had every figure and Star Wars toy you could think of, so when the video's were first released obviously I bought them. Then they were re-released in wide screen so I bought these also, then the sound was THX enhanced so I also bought these, then The extra footage was put in and I bought these...Now in a few months time the new film from the trilogy are going to be released, I am as excited about seeing these as the rest of you but for god sake lets wait for the film and enjoy it. It doesn't really matter if it is shit (although I very much doubt it) because it is a Star Wars film, The title of the film also doesn't matter because it is part of a the Star Wars Trilogy. We can't start to look into what the film is like until we see it for ourselves, and anybody that does really is just an idiot. My views are the film is bound to be a big success because of the nature of the trilogy but people are bound to say it's not as good as they expected because it has been blown out of all proportion. The new films have got a lot to live up to and I think they will but please lets stop all this hear say and wait for the real thing!
Sorry if I have offended anybody...that is not my intention.

I don't normally like any of the reveiws the people of this site post up (sorry, but it's true). But I'm glad some body posted a non-spoiler filled reviews of this thing! THANK you! I'm getting that feeling the trailer gave me back again....

I don't normally like any of the reveiws the people of this site post up (sorry, but it's true). But I'm glad some body posted a non-spoiler filled reviews of this thing! THANK you! I'm getting that feeling the trailer gave me back again....

I'm glad that Moriarty mentioned that we are "on the verge of a backlash towards the anticipation for the film," because it shows that I'm not the only one who's seeing this happen. Think about it. One of our biggest fears is that our expectations for this movie will be too high, so that when we'll go to see it, we'll be disappointed. None of us want that to happen, but in a way I can already see it happening. If you don't see it, go read the talkbacks for the episode 1 crawl posted here a few days ago. People were disappointed, and I think they didn't realize that it was because their expectations were too high. It's obvious if you read some of the posts. The most disturbing thing about it, though, is the fact that they don't even realize it. It makes me sad.

JMS you are a complete ASS! the problem with mindless comments like that is they stop your backside from doing its natural function. Star Wars is one of the only films in history that you can watch today and it still looks like a modern film...not only that but the trilogy is one of only a few where the second film (or 5th as the case may be) is better than the first. How on earth can you say that it has not plot...have you ever seen the film...hmmm I wonder. Now we move on to Babylon 5...made into a film to compete with Star Wars...I think not somehow...still we are all entitled to our opinion, even if the entirity of your content was toss!

Good write up Moriarty, not too much given away, but I have to agree with Opinionated. Over here us Brits will have to wait even longer for Episode 1 to arrive, and in the intervening months we will here and see on TV, radio and the net absolutely stacks of stuff about the film. This means that when the film arrives in Blighty we will already know probably the whole story. So c'mon George don't forget the help that the Brits have given you, and try to cut down our waiting.

This is insane! You are just laughing at us now. You are very selfish. You are only happy when you have something that other people want. Get a life and give us the script. You said that it is Lucas's property and it wouldn't be right. Well, everything that was ever posted about Episode 1 was Lucas's property and you didn't mind releasing that. I am talking about all of the sketchs that came straight from Chiang. Also you said that it would ruin it for the people that want to be suprised. I think they are quite capable of plugging their ears if they don't want to hear something. They are not babies. So I am asking you. Do the right thing and release the script. This is for everyone that feels the same way: Show how you feel by sending Harry e-mails until he complies. We must have the script.

This is insane! You are just laughing at us now. You are very selfish. You are only happy when you have something that other people want. Get a life and give us the script. You said that it is Lucas's property and it wouldn't be right. Well, everything that was ever posted about Episode 1 was Lucas's property and you didn't mind releasing that. I am talking about all of the sketchs that came straight from Chiang. Also you said that it would ruin it for the people that want to be suprised. I think they are quite capable of plugging their ears if they don't want to hear something. They are not babies. So I am asking you. Do the right thing and release the script. This is for everyone that feels the same way: Show how you feel by sending Harry e-mails until he complies. We must have the script.

Before you go on and on about how Star Wars sucks and how the plot sucks, etc. read "Star Wars: Behind The Myth and Magic." Maybe you'll actually learn something and/or change your mind!
And another thing, use your Transformer and GI Joe plot ideas and create your own version of what Star Wars' plot should have been like! I am still a BIG Transformers and GI Joe fan, but I'll be first to admit that the cartoons' plots weren't that in-depth, creative, or engaging. Much less better than Star Wars... Can we say M-A-R-K-E-T-I-N-G? Besides, Transformers: The Movie ripped off a lot of elements from Star Wars!

Tell me something, Salacious... why is it his duty to post the script? Frankly while I was very apprehensive about reading this article, I found it completely insightful, and giving me just enough info to wait for another few months until the movie comes out. It gave me just enough info to be excited about the film again. I think you're just jealous because he knows more than you do about the film. Wait four months... I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised that everything wasn't spoiled for you months before the movie comes out. My advice is stop complaining, and just be greatful that you have what you do.

(Not that I think I can convince someone who's obviously just trying to make people mad.)The difference between Star Wars and terrible movies like Armageddon and Godzilla, is that Star Wars is character driven. The larger elements of the story are really only the setting for characters' conflicts and trials and personal struggles. Watching Armageddon, you can practically see the thought processes behind it: They figured that a movie about an asteroid on it's way to destroy the Earth would make lots of money, especially if the special effects were good (which they weren't in the end), and especially if it had a lot of macho heroics and one-liners. If you think about it, the thought process behind Star Wars was always plot first, and action and special effects as an added bonus. A quote: "Look at the damn movie. You got robots running around, hairy aliens, fat slobbering aliens, a villian that sounds like he has asthma, glow in the dark swords, but through all that of that stuff there is love, and there is the force." If I ignore the negative attitude from that quote, it actually sounds very good to me. All thouse things are very interesting to see in a movie, especially when they're part of such a wonderful, big, small, mythological and character-driven story.

Well, I gotta go with JMS to some extent here. When it comes down to it, the plot of Star Wars is not complex, in deep, or really even that original. It is the overall feel of the film(s) which lend it that timeless quality. I mean, let's face it, that's what makes a great film!
I can tell you one thing though.
The music from The Transformers Movies is better than anything that John Williams could put together.

I don't care if you assert that Godzilla and Armageddon are no better than Star Wars, but somehow you have to account for the fact that, twenty-two years from now, people will still be watching Star Wars, while no one will remember Armageddon or Independence Day.

JMS is right, Star Wars and its sequels are kids movies, black hat/white hat westerns for the sci-fi era. Why else did every major except Fox turn Lucas down flat? - because they all saw the script for what it was - basically a Saturday morning matinee with a few ray guns and a funny furry alien thrown in. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean Star War's isn't a great fun film - like rollercoasters are fun - but The Seventh Seal it ain't. Enjoy it for what it is - pure escapist entertainment (and by golly we need some of that in this cynical nodern world), but don't revere it and analyse it like it was Holy writ.

Sure, Star Wars movies are definitely not the kind of movies that can be thought of as literature, like, say, Good Will Hunting, and no high school English class will ever spend half a semester analyzing it for all it's subtle literary nuances. But if you think about Star Wars like that, you're totally misunderstanding why we all like it so much. The word "escapist" is perfect, but you have to admit that the escapism of Star Wars is done better than any other movie ever made. It's fantasy that ranks up there with Tolkein, Asimov, Wolfe, etc.. It's also more satisfying in what it is than any other escapist movie. Star Wars is a rich, full, universe, and THAT's why it's analyzed so deeply, not for literary nuances and such.

The only reason the Brits didn't cheer out loud at Ep 1 trailer (altho' there was plenty cheering in my house after 3 hours of downloading it) is that we're trying to bottle up the excitement and stave off the backlash that you Yanks already seem to have given into. And by the way, George and Star Wars owe us everything: where would these movies be without Alec Guiness, Peter Cushing, Ewan McGregor, Anthony Daniels, Dave Prowse, Iain McDiarmid, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the mighty Brian Blessed and so on, and so on? So come on Mr Lucas, don't give us the movie after America, nor even at the same time as America... let's see it two months before the Americans!
By the way, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are prizing the young Anakin away from Tatooine, to lead him on a dangerous journey into the unknown, do they advise him, "Annie, get your gun?"

It amazes me how pathetic some people are. There are two factions of these morons. Those who think Moriarity and Harry MUST give them the script NOW, because damn it they WANT IT. I certainly hope that those who posted this whining are 13yr old punk kids home from school because of all the snow here in the north east. God help you if you aren't because that logic is the most immature, whining, self-centered logic I've come across in a long time. What Moriarity and Harry have been able to get ahold of is AMAZING. How they did it I don't know but it must be nice having connections. The thing is they throw all their effort in to making this a kick ass site and maybe this script is a little reward for them. In addition they DO make a valid point that not everyone wants the movie spoiled and it's those who are DEMANDING the script that will blab it to everyone. If you want the script so bad I suggest you start sending beautiful virgins or large envelopes of money, etc to moriarity...brib him for it, but I garentee he isn't gonna let you see it with your pathetic demanding attitudes. The other moron's are those compare starwars to Transformers(?!?!) and say there is no plot/unique plot. Yes much of the plot is borrowed from other things including middle eastern religions but no other movie/universe has blended together in such a seemless and unique manner such a diverse range of ideas. No such sci/fi movie before or since has enveloped us in the characters and what happens to them. No movie is perfect and sure some aspects of the latter two films fell into the pit of marketing/merchandising/big budget films but the movies still worked, they still kept us intrigued, furthered this mythelogical universe, and were vastly entertaining to a BROAD spectrum of people. Transformers enticed kids and a small band of diehard geeks. You simply cannot say that any of the given examples, including the oh so wonderful (sarcasm? oh yes) Babylon 5 which hasn't been able to get on network television, let alone it's own movie, can compete with Star Wars. Like they say, so many people can't be wrong. To conclude, thanks Moriarity for the insight you've given us up until now. We still have MANY months until the movie and while I don't want to read the script (okay I do but I'm forcing myself to resist) I look forward to any further minor spoiler info you may graciously send our way.

How condescending can you be? Its okay if i read the script and than tease you about it, with little none glimpses. Harry stop it, because there is starting to be a backlash against you. Protect Lucas and fans against spoilers. Come on harry, people who don't want to read the script won't read it. Everyone knows the basic plot, the only question is it done in a cool way. I guess some one who thinks armageddon was one of the best movies of the year is already gone in terms of being for the fans and is no for himself. I wonder what kind of review batman and robin would have gotten if schumaker had kissed harry's tail as much as bay and rodriquez. He probably would have refused to post the negative reviews from the previews. Harry, you have to chose sides. Either you can hang out and paint monsters with rodriquez or you can do what you started.

Babylon 5 has a great concept but the way the characters attempt to advance what could be an interesting albeit unoriginal plot through such crappy writing has kept me from ever getting into the show. If you think the writing is great, you need to do some serious reading. The fact is, no one has produced a really intelligent SF film yet. Read some Heinlein, Niven, Bear, Card and about a hundred others and you'll understand what I'm talking about. But what Lucas has has given to a much broader audience is a self-consistent and immersive universe where unforgettable characters engage in struggles that make us the viewers feel like we have something crucial at stake. That in itself is rare enough. But he also gave us rich visual worlds whose design still sets the standard and influences everything that came after, including Babylon 5. To say that if Lucas hadn't made Star Wars, CG and FX would not be where they are today is a huge understatement. (Adobe, ILM, SGI, etc.)You can take minor shots at the plot, but when your target is the giant on whose shoulders you stand its clear you haven't thought about the subject long enough to see beyond your little "my show is better than your show" rant.

Ok, I had to jump in here.
First I'd like to applaud the desiciion to withold the script from the public. Hell I read spoilers and such, but i DON'T want to know intricate plot details. If the script was released to the masses (or even a select few), it would EVENTUALLY be regurrgitated back to the net, spoiling it for everyone. You guys in fifth grade who want it NOW will just have to concentrate on passing Earth Science so mommy will let you go to see EP1 on may 21.
Next...I'd like to address the idiots (ahem...people) who somehow feel that the fucking TRANSFORMERS are better/more interesting than STARWARS. I really think you guys have a brain tumor. Lets see here...The star wars trilogy has entertained/amazed/moved/touched/
enriched and made millions of people laugh for 20 years now. And you have the balls to declare that somehow we are all mindless children...and that YOU see starwars for what it really is. It seems more logical to me that it is you who hasn't seen the trilogy enough to really understand what it is about. Lets summarize: MILLIONS TOUCHED AND MOVES VS. A FEW SHALLOW IDIOTS... Hmmm.....
BTW, star wars is a saga, i.e. something that continues and extends into other movies. Dare I say that the 'magic' arises because of the INTERACTION of the movies and how they mesh together.
And to the friggin 9 year old who says that the transformers music is better than John williams score. You must be on crack...or glue or something. Gee i haven't seen a TRANSFORMER'S ANTHOLOGY BOX SET AT BEST BUY. Sheesh...
-vankman
PS - Please oh please flame me i love to hear opinions from kids.

I have to generally agree with ehood in the morons post below (other than I liked Bab5 better then he does apparently). Regarding the title: "What seems to be a dispute over taxation on Naboo is instead the linchpin for something far more important, grandly scaled." The Phantom Menace -- GET IT YA NOBS???

thanks Moriarty. my heart is beating faster. i have faith still in the FORCE.
I remember when i was a little five year old boy. i would go over to my cousin's house and play with his jabba and his luke. he had everything. i was filled with a sense of wonder and joy. i saw the movies and my life was forever changed.I was a Star Wars freak.
Now I'm seventeen and i collect the figures. i have the original trilogy in regular and special editions. i have posters.
And now i have this feeling of fluttering in my soul as the new movie is coming i am totally hanging my tongue, drooling over every tidbit of info i can get my hands on. i am becoming one with the Force.
so to all the nay sayers... Fuck off. May 21st is going to be the greatest movie of the american cinema and we get to see it. so wise up and take part in this great year.
well i just can't hardly wait. see you at the movies.
violet zaz fire

Moriarty, I have to thank you. I am glad you didn't post any spoilers. I want to be surprised by at least *some* things, you know? I trust that script in your hands, and Harry's. I know you're not going to be selling it to Geek FanPsycho Boys who are screaming 'Give us the script!' Because, my man, you have integrity. I knew it as soon as you contacted me re: screaming fanboys at the trailer who ruined my experience because I couldnt' hear a goddamned thing. You care about this movie. I care about this movie. I really wish that some sort of noxious gas could be expelled in the world that is lethal to PsychoFan Boys. I'm really starting to loathe their ilk. Screaming about everything that they hate about a movie they haven't even seen yet, demanding that Lucas be a slave to what *they* want, demanding, demanding, demanding. Gods, I hope that I see this movie surrounded by people who think the way I do, and not a bunch of whining, demanding PsychoGeeks From Hell. Moriarty, stay strong. We are out here...those with reason and true love for these films...those who are not two steps away from being total psychotics with no lives. Do not despair! And do not cave in to GeekBoy screams. They are nothing.

that was pretty much the perfect review telling u enough to get u so excited, except not giving it all away.
i agree with the others who say that the release date for the UK should be changed. i don't wanna have to wait until july 16th - by that time the whole movie will have been ruined. i think that george lucas should consider making may 21st the 'worldwide' release date, so everyone gets to see it the same time sharing it at once. a total worldwide unity thing or whatever - 'star wars day' if you want.
and if he doesn't do it for episode 1, he should seriously consider doing it for episodes 2 and 3.
we can only hope.

Star Wars is not for the wimps and little kids. It's for everyone. when it came out back in '77 there was backlash from Nixon, the Vietnam war and the flower children.
Hope was gone for mankind. and then George Lucas took a simple cowboy and indian story and pumped it up. We had hope. That things are not as bad as they seem. The Force gave us something to believe once again when belief in man failed us.
as Entertainment weekly said, we didn't know how bad we needed it till it came.
a century from now will Men In Black be remembered?will Titanic make much of a ripple? I think not. Star Wars is the first great fantasy and the sequels and the prequels all help or will help prove it.

It was very exciting to read Moriarty's breakdown of the characters in episode 1. The sheer power of the joy I felt from reading his article was great. I was so overwhealmed with hope and joy I almost cried.
The Star Wars Universe is a place that held years of joy for me as a child. I guess in many ways I'm still a child because I still respond to each new wave of information with that unyielding sense of awe.
I can't wait to see the new film, the fact that it's story is supposed to be so layered makes me want to see it all the more. The adult in me wants a real story with real substance. I've grown so disallusioned with hollywood that it would be really nice to see film making at it's high point rather than it's typical low.
Counting the days my friends....
Toby

First, a question. I've always loved the radio versions of the original three movies. Is there any word on a radio edition of episode I?
I'm also here to tell you ewoks that there are at least 50 copies of the raw cut of Episode I out there. According to a life friend of mine (so he wouldn' lie or I'd kill him) that knows someone who is well known and deep into DVD mastering (he has all sorts of goodies: the Original Star Wars, ID4, all the X-Files, etc... on DVD) But, he has a copy of it. I'm surprised Harry doesn't have his hands on it or maybe he does and just isn't letting on. It's going to take a lot of will power to keep me from trying to contact this guy and offering 100$ for him to make an advance copy.

where are you finding this script.?
do share it with us... why not post it on the net. If I had it, I'd share it with you bigboy! I would post it on my site. then again thinking about it now. I would buy some space on a server and get lots of ads and post the script on it. come post the script....
who cares anyway what anyone has to say about the script. when we are talking starwars here. we know that lucas has the money to make a great movie. and does not have a studio hammering down on him to pump out more movies.
he can do what ever he wants and fox will add there name to it.

Hate to inflict some opinons on you little boy but here they are anyways.
One, The theatrical release of the B5 movie isn't a reality, frankly i think jms needs a little down time. When there's a deal and a script then there's movie. period.
Two,leave the kiddie comparisons outdoors in the snow. Transformers is a kid's show, Period. Bab 5 is an adult drama in space. Star Wars is an action-adventure saga set in space.
Three, leave joe and his show alone. He doesn't need your help or want it, when it comes to petty comparisons of shows and movies that are in completely different turfs.
Four, a note to all, perhaps the coolest thing about the Star Wars Saga is that Lucas has created a story that can be watched enjoyed from the young to the old. The story is timeless, simple yet so stimulating, intense, and complex.
Live a little people.
Girl Ellison
Founder of the anything goes protection of jms and ol' Ellison
"Ivonava is God, Ivonava is always right"- Ivonava

About TPM, I have nothing to say that others haven't said better already. I must talk about a problem that I have with some B5 fans. Not the show itself - B5 does a creditable job of taking a bunch of ideas that are pretty familiar (to people who READ sf literature -Clarke, Asimov, William Gibson etc) and rehashing them on television in a unique story-telling format. My only beef with the show itself is that the acting isn't very impressive. I rather admire Joseph Michael Strazcynski (and what's with the abbreviations, fanboys? Can't you SPELL?) for his tenacity and work ethic. If I seem lukewarm in my praise of one of the most revolutionary show of its time, It's because of fans like JMS, who can only praise B5 by bashing other forms of sf. They have completely turned me off to this show.

I'm sitting here at work just smiling my ass off. The prequel's due out in a little more than 4 months... I'm eating up the hype in a big way. Mind you, I'm one of those detractors of stupid big-budget lame Hollywood vehicles that end up on Taco Bell cups, but there's something about Star Wars that makes me overlook the Chewie beanbag chairs, the C-3PO breakfast cereal and the Salacious Crumb douche powder. I don't even get that bent about the Ewoks. (Occasionally I wish a few more got their asses stomped by the AT-STs on Endor, but whatever...) There's this cool... SOMETHING... that I keep coming back to. I was 6 when "A New Hope" came out, and here I am now - 28, engaged to be married, and I'm crapping myself about the new Star Wars. Amid the piles of bills, traffic, political scandals, bombings, there's this thing that makes me smile - apparently makes a bunch of us smile. It makes EVERYONE react. (See JMS) You never see quite as many Talk Back participants as you'll find beneath an item regarding Episode One. Final thought: I think it's a general concensus (not the rule) that 'New Hope' was great, "Empire" was darker, even better, and 'Jedi' was a little weaker, though it had it's moments (I think the 'Throne Room' finale is the best act of the whole series). I see the next Trilogy playing out nearly the same way, with one major exception; I believe, based on what we know about the new films, that Episode 3 is going to be darker than night, more tragic than you can imagine, and yes, will contain no Ewoks, god willing. I, for one, can't wait. One last note to GL: Bring back Billy Dee!

JMS-
I didn't prove your point with my comment about Transformers ripping off Star Wars... it just goes to show the writers lacked originality. Star Wars' plot may be a bit simplistic when you look at it broadly, but so much happens in the movie and since there's so much originality, detail, and awe, the plot doesn't suffered at all. And when I said Star Wars Behind the Myth, I meant the book referring to what parts of Star Wars paid homage to mythical, historical and religious references. The reason why there's a Star Wars wing at the Smithsonian... Oh yea, twenty years down the road the only science fiction that anyone will remember that has to do with "Babylon" is the novel Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. So you better enjoy you TNT movies while you can...

JMS-
I didn't prove your point with my comment about Transformers ripping off Star Wars... it just goes to show the writers lacked originality. Star Wars' plot may be a bit simplistic when you look at it broadly, but so much happens in the movie and since there's so much originality, detail, and awe, the plot doesn't suffered at all. And when I said Star Wars Behind the Myth, I meant the book referring to what parts of Star Wars paid homage to mythical, historical and religious references. The reason why there's a Star Wars wing at the Smithsonian... Oh yea, twenty years down the road the only science fiction that anyone will remember that has to do with "Babylon" is the novel Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. So you better enjoy you TNT movies while you can...

Harry, I love your site but get this script out to the fans who want to read it. How can you act that your part of the big community of star war fans while you hold back on us. Harry let us judge if we want to read the script, let us decide if it is as great as we hope.

Part of the "Star Wars experience" is not knowing what is to happen. It's part of the magic. That's why the series did so well. There was no internet or big ass movie magazines or Entertainment Tonight to come around and ruin it for some of us. Showing the trailer is one thing thing, but revealing major plot points is another. I'm glad Lucas is watching over what is released to the public... People went to the first movie not expecting a thing and look what happened. Especially with "how stupid the plot was." (Sarcasm for the moron out there.) No, this site isn't obligated to post or e-mail the script; and yes, Lucasfilm would open a can of whup-ass if any site did...

Could I possibly get you to contact me privately?
I had some questions about taking over the world and hey--who else better?
Seriously, though, I think your review was very well-written and avoided pushing things farther than I, for one, want to see them before I see the film.
I have a few specific questions--not about the script, actually, at all--if you can take a moment from your devious plans.
Thank you for the smart post, however.
Le Junkie d' Sony

First the idiots. The people who bash Star Wars just because they can. I mean, why bother? Do you get sick pleasure out of seeing people squirm? If you don't like it, be calm about it, don't compare it to movies like Armgeggedon (btw how many star wars fans do you know that hated it, I loved it), becuase they are completly diffrent.
Now for the dorks. The ones that keep comparing it to Transformers. I'm 16 right now, I remember the Transformers (btw, Beast Wars is so much cooler). I remember thinking how cool it was, but I was rather young. When i see re-runs sometimes on obscure cable channels I still watch them, cause they are pretty cool cartoons. But can they really compare to Star Wars? Not just in quality, mind you. I mean they are COMPLETLY diffrent, why are you comparing them? And for that HUGE dork who said the music is better then anything John Williams could write. I know your like 5 or something, either that or you are just trying to make people mad, because that is one of the most foolish things I've ever heard.
And now for the morons, my personal favorite. The one's who seem to hate Star Wars for a reasen, though a highly stupid one. YOur the guys who love B5 (i love it too, but damn TNT bought it and I don't have cable), you all think that every other sci-fi is bad. But Star Wars is only considered sci-fi because it is set in space and other planets. But really its fantasy, classic fantasy really which is why the plot is "simplistic". It goes into the classic good vs. evil, and damsel in distress genre, but then has its own surprises. Some guy above was right, from a literary stand point it may not be the greatest thing in the universe. But does that make it awful? NO, everyone here should respect everyone else's views. If someone likes B5 more then SW, fine. But don't trash SW just cause' you like B5, and don't trash B5 just because you like Star Wars or someone makes you mad. Now if someone makes a mindless comment like the idiots and dorks already mentioned, fine, flame the hell out of them.
And by the way B5 fans, there's not going to be a theactrical movie of that show for a long, long time.

Yeah, maybe some of you hvae seen the ones I did.. but there may be some you hvane't I think they're cool. I just do this for your enjoyment people. I love you guys, and thanks for visitng my site !
http://www.lightstream.net/~swampbug
Ohh ya and STARWARS RULeS.. just thought I'd make a valid post !

JMS-I will partially give you the fact that Star Wars is not too complex of a story line. But it is very charactor oriented. The last time I checked Armeggedon wasn't a mythological story taken for from truely the all time classic fairy tales. I hardly think Godzilla was either. BTW, have you gotten out of Kindergarden yet. Hmmm, so Star wars to you is just a bunch of robots and fat slobby aliens running around or what ever you said. You idiot...I happened to see part of a Babylon 5 episode and that is what you were refering to. That is totally and soley Sci-Fi with wierd looking green faced aliens that has no meaning. How freakin dare you put Star Wars in a class with Star Trek and Babylon5. It's quite amazing to to me how someone could be so dumb.I can't express how wrong you are. Its kind of funny how Godzilla and Armeggedon weren't in the top 100 movies of all time list but Star Wars was #15. If you haven't figured out by now that the star Wars trilogy isn't a timeless mythological fairytale that will even have their meaning explained even much better with the addition of the prequels. Over what??.....Godzilla and Transformers. Please. I think your shit has clogged up your ass.

At this point, I'm wishing I could have myself put into suspended animation until tickets go on sale. Waiting sucks. :)
Oh, and Harry: as a writer, I fully support your decision not to post copyrighted material and get your tuckus sued off. And as a weak-willed person, who wouldn't want to read the script if it were posted, but probably would anyway, I thank you for keeping it under your hat.

Well I sit staring at my screen feeling all nice, warm, and fuzzy inside. I feel this because neither Harry, Moriarty, or Lucas give a shit about your pathetic little plees for wanting to see the script. Wait in line maggots. The movie is going to be awe inspiring. Just calm down and realize that you aren't gonna see shit till May 21st.
saccharine
p.s. - Moriarty, thank you very much. That piece was excellent, i am giddy with excitement.

it made me cry reading about the script. not ball, but tears ran down my face. i just can't wait like everyone else. i am sure star wars is going to live upto's its expectations. and that is the joy that i have. unline other movies, where the expectation of seeing the movie, basically destroyed the movie. not for this one. it is going to be the greatest thing that everyone has ever seen.

Man you are a moron. Somebody just reviewed the script for us and said it was great and your still saying its going to suck. I don't think Lucas is God, but guess what, I did like Radioland Murders (that thing was freakin' funny) and the Young Indiana Jones was not that bad. You ever seen Tucker, cool movie, also produced by Lucas. Anyway I wouldn't exactly call Star Trek a TV success, it doesn't really do that well. Besides Star Wars could never be a TV show, at least not about Luke and them all. It would half to be about someone else. And why does everyone assume Lucas was behind the Ewok movies, it may say he produced it, but I bet his involvement was, "oh yeah, go ahead and make an ewok movie, I don't care". And that is it. JMS, stop bashing the movie before it comes out, that's really dumb.

I read all of the comments by JMS and not once does she clarify what is wrong with the story of Star Wars, we all know the greatness of it because we have brains and intuitiveness, but she doesn't because she is a Star Trek Leo DiCaprio fan, angry at Star Wars's success, Star Treks unpopularity(by the way I heard trekkie is Vulcan for loser), and the fact that The Phantom Menace will beat titanic. That doesnt matter, what does is that Star Wars has touched many lives, and when something can do that then that is more important than the box office or number of awards a movie has won. That is what is great and will be great about the entire six Star Wars series. By the way AOL users read JMS's profile she has a secret to hide, she is a lesbian I am serious read the profile, to get her screen name click on her user id to e-mail her, i think it starts with an M, ooohhh a trekkie, leo dicaprio loving lesbian, the worst kind!

No, wait, Star Wars is good. Die hard Star Wars fans are stupid. I like watching you guys cry. Well, except for that guy who admitted to crying after reading Moriarty's discussion; that guy kind of scares me. Oh, and since it seems to be standard procedure, I'd like to take this moment to call everyone here a child. You're all children.

Sorry for misleading you all - the above is a lie (I hope). I have no information about any Star Wars script posted on the web. The reason Star Wars kicks so much ass is that in it are delivered truths about humanity. Lucas used Joseph Campbell's classic hero myth formula - something Campbell found to exist in practically every people that has every inhabited this planet. Humans still dream in this same classic hero formula. It only follows logically that the reason civilizations that never came in contact with each other share striking parallels in myth, is that those parallels are ingrained in the human psyche. They are of universal truth. Granted Star Wars can be for children and doesn't SHOW THE MEANING OF LIFE. Everything Yoda says is absolutely true. It comes from the Buddha, and Lao Tzu, Jesus Christ, Mohammed (sp?). Star Wars shows is as much our world as any story that has ever been told. And it is because this is a "fantasy" and is displaced from our world that it works so well to teach. It is accessible to EVERYONE. What it teaches is nothing less than universal truth - depending how deeply you choose to see it. That's why it rocks. Everyone gets it and they get it as deeply as they so choose.

Moriarty is indeed God. First of all, to all the truly greedy bastards who want the script to be posted...please go read Harry's masterful explanation. Posting would not only be irresponsible but would totally undermine this site's status, as well as Harry's personal credibility. I know how excited everyone is, but posting the script is utterly wrong. What Moriarty has done is perfect. He has stoked the fire in all of us with his words about the script, without giving anything away. I just have a few questions. How many pages is the screenplay? and Do Obi-Wan and Queen Amidala have any meaningful scenes together? Again, Moriarty is GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you've read the script have you? I don't know whether to congratulate you or give you my condolences. As big a fan that I am of Starwars, and especially this new film I would like to be pleasantly surprised.
As much as you, and Harry, say so won't, you will. Will what you say? You will be comparing what you've read to what you see. As with all scripts, sometimes everything does not always make it into the final cut. So that means maybe that scene that you've read (which ever one you love the best) will not make it into the final print of the film.
I have always been optimistic in everything I do, but saying that everything will work, as you have stated is not very realistic. Some things, (dialogue, creatures, etc...) may not work in the film. But from what you say everything will be simply stunning.
I vote that we all take a breather for a little while. So you've read the script have you? Well, I guess there will be no element of surprise for you. (story wise that is, visually you probably will be surprised at every turn, but Starwars at it's core is not about the visuals, creatures, lightsabers, it's about the story.) all of those visual elements we love contribute to the story, but each on it's own is not enough to carry the film.
Episode One will premiere, let's all calm down and be real about everything.
James Prater

First off, thank you to Moriarty for giving the same spoiler-free review I would give to a friend standing in line to get in, while I was exiting the theatre. To everyone who has been trying to get the script posted, here's why so many are against that. it's true that no one would have to read the script if they didn't want to. The problem is that people would blow HUGE secrets from the film in contexts where they werent warned. Tell me you can't imagine seeing something like a post under a review for the Inspector Gadget movie, saying something like "That movie was the dumbest thing I've seen since I found out that Obi-Wan is Palpatine's son when i read the Episode 1 script!". See?! Then the secret has been blown for plenty of people who didn't want to know. Let it go, you can wait until Christmas morning to open your presents you impatient turds.

Didn't anyone read my previous post? Forget the script you guys. I could get access to the rough cut of the film but I won't that would take me to the Dark Side and it just wouldn't be the same without the effects in it (considering all the characters that are CG)
Is anyone else also interested in a Phantom Menace Radio Show?

Listen, I too am waiting for the movie. Not crying in my Star Wars pillow or watching my copy of the Star wars christmas special. But I really dont think he has the script.
Take in consideration his review of the queen. Not much there because he doesn't know about her. No one who is waiting for the movie does. He seems to be restating everything that has been said on the web. I do feel kind of weird being the only one to question him. Sure he's a friend of Harry, but I dont think Harry has a script either. Just wait for the movie. I can and when I see teh movie please don't bring your action figures or trading cards. When I went and saw the special edition, Fat-ass comic book guys take a shower before seeing the movie. it's not fair for the people who smell good to have to smell you guys the whole time.

You are exactly right how Lucas will blow our minds away this coming May, but there are a couple of changes to the script that you guys have to the one that I have read. It is from the 3rd draft revised July 5, 1997. It's just some changes that seem minor in Episode I, but will all be put together in Episode II. He didn't make any changes to the over all plot, but the changes make Episode I fit better with Episode II. You will see in May.
Later,
BigChris

I'm as excited as hell about May 22. No, I didn't weep when I saw the preview. And no, I don't think the movie will suck, and don't understand the people who see themselves as some sort of wise martyr by saying the new film won't be any good. What's the use of someone who can never do anything except piss all over other people's work? They're human debris. I found this forum and enjoy just chatting about SW, but it seems people on the both ends of the spectrum (ie, "I CAN'T WAIT!" and "THIS IS GONNA SUCK!") are taking away from the movie itself. Have some fun, people. Non-fans, wipe that mistaken, self-congratulatory smirk off your dull faces, cram it, and just accept that everyone has their passions--and that for some people it is movies. Hardcore folks, chill about wanting to memorize every minute of this film before it even comes out. But I guess I'm on my soapbox just like everyone else. My congrats to Moriarty for writing a review that gives away next to nothing yet also builds up more excitement.

I found a diary on the London tube about a mouth ago. It said it was the personal property of George Lucus and not to read under any condition. Not only did it have a Special Edition DVD of Episode 1 tucked into the cover, but George's personal thoughts on the making and marketing of TPM. Among some of his wrantings were how pissed his was at Peter Jackson's ingenious PR excercise with AICN, by revealing his film gradually directly to the fans("times are a changing"). Oh how he wishes he had thought of it. He also said that he would write fake reviews of his script to combat any backlash agaisnt his movie. "What a clever idea, those pesky geeks will fall for it"(exact words). He, however wasn't sure about whether the Jedi Ewoks that save the day ,at the end of the movie work. On viewing the fully complete master DVD I must say that "GOD" George has produced another epic. If you loved "Willow", you gonna love this!

KISS MY ASS, YOU MORONS!!! Even if the new Star Wars film does suck, I'm sure as hell not going to say, "Hmm, maybe JMS and those other critics were right. This film was a disappointment." HELL F**KIN NO!!! What I'm gonna say is, "Well, The Phantom Menace didn't live up to my expectations, but JMS and those other guys on AICN can still kiss my ass...Or lick my balls, whichever way these pricks want it."
With all this said, Babylon 5 can kiss my ass, too.

OK, I have had enough reading these posts bashing Star Wars. It was a great movie, not just for kids, but for everyone. I am only 20 and missed the original theatre releases of the movies. I had never even seen the movies but I liked the toys. Then I saw the movies and loved it, made me love the toys even more. And my imagination soared. Then as i got older (about 12) I thought I was "too old" to be playing with toys like that and got rid of them. Then when I was 15 I saw the movies again. IT opened my eyes to my own stupidity. I can still watch the movies now and still fall in love with it just as if it was the first time I had seen it. The univers it created is vast and never ending. Each of us is entitled to our own opinions as to what makes a film great, but to say Star Wars is Childish only proves how cold and dead you are. Without our imaginations we are nothing, and would be better of dead. Our imaginations drives us to better achievements and a better life.
P.S. B5 is cool too

Thanks, moriarty, you gotta way with words. My faith in the saga has not wavered with the nay-sayers rambling on about disapointment, and it's good to know that others can rest easy now. i can't help but think we have been kept waiting for a reason, that being THE MAN wants to make sure he does the job right. I don't think his driving force is the money (god knows he has enough already), but that he doesn't want to let us down and soil something that others hold so sacred. Great job at helping put some at ease without ruining the party. A few more spoilers might not hurt, tho.....

We are all different. All of us. Some like Star Wars, some like B5, some like both. We argue amongst eachother because we have such passion for what we love that when we see some "idiot" or ""asshole" that has a different preference in interests, we bite their head off. "Star Wars is stupid!!! It's childish!!!" So? I could say the same thing about B5. "Babylon 5 is so stupid!!! The movie is never gonna be made cause it sucks!!!" So? You can say that Star Wars appeals to the sense of sight and sound and nothing else while B5 is so much more superior. We all have our different opinions. Just accept that someone is going to like something you don't. We all see things in different ways. I'm not a die-hard Star Wars fan and I am not too fond of Babylon 5. But who am I to say that the other is bad? It's like people who love "professional wrestling". Some will praise Goldberg as a god and others as a no-talent actor. It's just like politics. It's bi-partisan. Split right down the middle. I'm sure I could give you a million reasons that Star Wars is superior to Transformers. But then somebody would come back at me and defend the show that they adore so much. I think the reader of this with a brain larger than the Scarecrow in the beginning of 'Oz, can see what I am seeing. But it will continue. All of it. Some say post "the" script. Others say that those are on crack. We're all different. Let everybody have their own opinion. You can't win 'em all.
DsM

I got one of those big standees of a Tusken Raider(Sandpeople) for Christmas, and I noticed how similar he was to Darth Maul. Sandpeople seem to have metal caps on their heads that could possibly be covering small horns. They use a weapon that would be handled similar to the way Maul's double lightsabre would be used. Even the "expression" on the Sandpeople mask reminds me of the snarl on Maul's face. Am I grasping straws? Has this been covered here before? What does everyone else thing?

:Heres my question, both Moriarity and Harry may have claimed to have read the script, but how do we
know they really read THE script? What ever
happened to all the talk of there only being three
complete scripts in exisitence, sealed in briefcases
that could only be opened when the other two were
present. I mean, hell, even on return of the jedi, the
actors only got their scripts for the parts of the film
they were exclusively in. hell, david Prowse didn't
even know he was going to die in the film until a
week before they filmed the scene. So who other
than Lucas and maybe his produceer would have a
complete script? I am not saying it is not possible
that AICN did see the script, but I doubt that any of
the Lucas cronies would have a complete script or
betray Lucas for this site. Secondly, why wouldn't it
be all over the net? There is no reason for someone
to give out the script unless they are trying to create
some sort of conterversey, why wouldn't it have ben
sent to all sites and posted everywhere on usenet.
Kind of leads me to believe that this is either a bs
story created by AICN or Lucas planting
misinformation. This post is not meant to ellict a
venomous respinse and I know that with the
challenging nature it may seem like that and probably
will, however they are some obvious holes in the
story that undermine the credibility of this site.
thanks dangard ace

I must agree that JMS is right! i mean after all, its all been done before. The fat, hairy, smelly aliens are the local bums thatsift through your garbage with a bottle of Mad Dog in their back pocket and John Ritter did a movie for Blake Edwards with glow-in-the-dark swords. Mind you they were glow-in-the-dark pork swords, but still the same.
You're all crazy! I'm waiting for the $100 million dollar "FAR OUT SPACE NUTS" MOVIE to begin filming. Now, there's a cinematic event!
As for JMS, stop having PMS! Its only a movie! Enjoy it or spend your $8.50 on a six-pack and Tector Gorch; go count your silver rings!
OINK! OINK!

One question. When the FUCK did you see the movie? Hmmm? I'm just curious. I mean, you seem to KNOW that it will be a Damn disapointment. You know what I think is a disapointment, people like you that dis Star Wars just because it's a Legend and better than your shitty ass sitcoms like B5, sorry fellow B5 fans but I've watched the show before, Yawwwn.
I like good ol'fantasy that's a lot better than rehashed stories like "Titanic". Did you know that there have been almost thirty movies made about Ti-fucking-tanic before Cameron's little addition came out. As far as plots go, you wouldn't know a good one if it jumped up your ass, crawled out your mouth and
said "Howdee!, I'm a Good Plot"

I've been reading the Talk Back and noticing a disturbing trend. It seems that people believe that when Star Wars comes out and the hard-core fans go to see, it will suck because it's for kids. Be realistic. If George Lucas is just trying to ensure a safe retirement, then wouldn't he focus the movie on the hard-core fans who will be willing to see it a thousand times and own it on every single possible format. And if he's actually just trying to make a great movie instead, then why would he focus on children. He would get bashed in the critiques for a cheesy plot. Also, I predict that Pre. 1 will far surpass Titanic. After all anyone who saw the first one in theaters and is still alive will probably see 2 or 3 times. And the kids who see the action figures will probably see 1-3 times. Then the hard-core fans won't stop watching it till the reel bursts into flames from overheating. If you do a little rational thinking, it's not very hard to guess that Pre. 1 will beat Titanic. Maybe even Gone with The Wind. Which, by the way, counting inflation IS the highest grossing film of all time. Think about it.

One subject that I have not seen
discussed very much is the huge,
obvious debt to Jack Kirby that
has never really been acknowledged. Nearly every plot
development in Star Wars is a mirror of the New Gods.
Kirby began plotting his "Fourth
World" saga around 1970. He created a mystical energy field
known as the SOURCE. The son of
the evil ruler Darkseid, ignorant of his heritage grows to become a
hero only to confront his father...
Artistically speaking, many of the vehicle designs in SW could be said to be influenced by Kirby
to a great extent...
This is coming from a HUGE fan of
Luca's trilogy, I've just never
seen any discussion of all the
similarities. There are many, many more.

Leave JMS alone! Look, the guy is trying to stir up trouble and get attention for himself. Just don't read his stupid posting. Obviously he's just test driving his Packard Bell on his new AOL account. Most Trolls like him post only in this section because any review/news that pertains to STAR WARS in AICN will attract much attention(Duh! for a bad movie with a plot that is equal to a transformer toons!). Posting here is a good advertisement for himself. If you answer him you've just uped his stupid ego!
I'm not going to flame JMS but his childish dumb-ass retarded remark calls for one. No one wants to here his sad opinion. Go post somewhere in a forum that gives a shit. nuff says____
_____ And as for some of the other's negative <legitimate> posting of opinions; They may be right. Star Wars probably is just a big kids flick that works, But you know what? - SO! ...I love it! Who cares. If it George want's to take the ball home with him after the 3rd episode, Whaaa!
If you remembered what he once said...Quote: " I want to make a sci-fi adventure movie so big that everybody will want to copy it and bring back the type of genre that was lost to us. This way I don't have to make movies and I can watch there's instead." -End Quote. Anyway - He didn't have to even make the Prequels if he didn't want too. I think 6 series is all I can bare anyway. And George Be Damn! To me, without Hamill, Fisher, Ford the Stormtroopers and the X-wing Fighter - it ain't really Star Wars anyway! It was good back then and for $6 dollars today... it beats the hell out of allot of other entertainments. I am going to See this movie and good or Bad I will Love it! It will be less the What I expected (he 'kid' story line)- then again... So?
And as for the Brits.... They could wine all they want. They did treat the first movie like shit but then again the us isn't any better! The crooked Hollywood 'Directors Guild' is nothing more then a Mafia that drove lucas out of the states. So I guess the US and Brits both sucks . According to the last Autobiography I read of Mr. Lucas, the movie people of the US and England were both on George's shit list.... Who gives a damn? What's his political view has to do with us? just be glad the movie finish! I know If the movie suck, the new John Williams Score should rock! So you we something to fall back on, heh? ;)

Well now I have seen everything! People on both sides of the aisle nitpicking and dissing these two...sad really. The truth of the matter is that you cannot compare them, they are just too different. When I was a kid Startrek was in syndication and I thought it could get no better for Sci-fi fans, then came StarWars. Truly We never expected this, sure it was sorta hoakey now that I think about it but dammit I enjoyed it, and I still do. Then in the eighties we had the StarTrek revival and it was good! Then they kept making StarTrek shows, and they began to suck! Come on DS9 and Voyager Suck big time.
Then came Babylon 5(actually before Voyager but you get the idea), and while I am A BIG FAN of that Show I am under no notion that it is the greatest piece of work ever to grace our sets, but dammit I like it!! It is some times cheezy and poorly acted sometimes(Claudia Christian anyone?) but it makes up for it with an honest approach to sci-fi television and It should us that Science fiction on tv had to be stupid(Voyager, or to some extent DS9,Buck Rodgers...etc.)
Now comes more StarWars and you know what this Babylon 5 fan is going to go and enjoy it, because may not turn out to be art, but it sure as hell is not going to be a waste of my time.
Sorry for rambling;)...Oh by the way I HATE TRANFORMERS....Robotech did it better!!!!!

Hello JMS.
Goodness, you have put us Star Wars fans in our place haven't you? I mean, until you mentioned it here I hadn't even noticed the simplistic and derivative plot elements. How could I have been so blind? Just how stupid does George Lucas think we are? Doesn't he know that we've all grown up now and have outgrown his childish films? It's not as if I've watched them since I was a kid, not as if I've watched them at the cinema as a full grown adult and still enjoyed every second.
You are quite right to scoff at us, we deserve your contempt. No, cancel that, we are not fit to recieve your contempt! We will have to work our way up to that singular honour, oh great decider of the absolute good and bad of modern cinema.
God help me, before you came and shined a light of truth upon my unworthy head, I was blind, BLIND I tell you. Thank you, thank you for rescuing me from the tortures of my own opinion. Thank you for setting me down on the path of righteousness once more. If I ever need to be told what to think ever again I shall crawl, face down so as not to insult your beauteous countenance with the foulness of my gaze. I shall grovel in your omniscient presence and drink from the benevolent pool of your wisdom.
Please forgive me for daring to take up a second of your precious time. God bless you.

This story could have been pieced together easily by anybody with good writing skills and access to the web. All one has to do is just write "boy, I sure love it when Anakin was in the Pod Race, it sure was exciting" and you've just reviewed the scene in the above manner. Of course, it's possible that he did read it, but it didn't read like it. Just my opinion, though. Oh, and if you want pics from Vanity Fair, go BUY the damn thing! It's out (los angeles, CA 4 bucks, page 118). -- the Random Ranger

Comparing Star Wars to Babylon 5, The Transformers, and the herky-jerky, flahing-lights, bargain-basement, bug-eyed, poorly dubbed, animated CRAP known as "Anime"!? Whew, I thought you were serious for a second there, I'm glad you admitted that you were joking! (Although I don't see why you are so pessimistic, Lucas has had a decade and a half to throw around ideas, plus all the time and money he needs. Plus, the trailer KICKED ASS!) Sure, SW is simple, but so is the mythology story structure it is patterned after. That doesn't mean it is bad! Since caveman times, people of all cultures have been fascinated by the mythic hero story--for some unknown reason. (See Joseph Campbell's books.) This is why SW will be a timeless classic. On the other hand, the average Joe will not remember the "typical" Sci-fi movie's plot more than 5 years after it's release. Ask an average person if they can recall the plot from Trek I-VII. Doubt it. Case in point: Trek IX. Just saw it the other day--and boy did it stink up the joint. Painfully long diatribes about a perfect, low-tech, hippie commune world, and endless chattering about techno-mumbo-jumbo. Worst of all, the mumbo-jumbo is a crutch for bad writing. Instead of inventing a clever plot device to create tension or conflict, you spout out techno-jargon nonsense to create reasons why a character is doing something. And NO, trekkies, I am not "bashing trek to make wars look good", I actually wish a good Trek would get made. Hopefully when TPM shatters box office records, Paramount will get off it's ass and do something fresh and original. And fund some better FX too, Insurrection looked like a small-scale TV show. Damn skinflint cheapass balls-in-mama's-purse-take-no-risks Paramount execs! Just as SW helped Trek in the 80's by showing Sci-fi to be profitable, I hope it will do so again and get Paramount to make Trek X the best yet. And JMS, it is clear by the frequency of your posts that you must sit at the computer an awful lot, checking back at this site every 10 minutes or so to respond and show how brilliantly witty your analysis is. Get a life! You ARE NOT fooling anyone.

you know I took my little brother to see the rerelease of Wizard of Oz last week and one of the trailers they showed was THE trailer, just before the movie started...now I had seen the trailer before but my little borhter had not seen it(inside a movie theatre)...and we both really enjoyed it, and WoO...what a treat...seeing the SW 1 trailer then perhaps the greatest fantasy movie of all time WoO...a real treat I doubt I'll expirence again...now I know this post has nothing to do with Transformers(which I loved) or babylon 5(which I just can't get into...I perfer Star Trek, sue me)...this is just a post to show my unexpected jubilation at seeing the first scences of SW1 followed by WoO...that's what it was pure Joy

I know I just commented, but this kinda bugged me. Anyone trying to compare Babylon 5 and Star Wars might as well be comparing Gone With the Wind with Casablanca. Both B5 and SW are great Sci-fi in their own rights, and both have grand, epic stories to tell. But let's face it, SW is much more fantasy than B5 is, and have totally different ways of telling their stories and obviously have different stories to tell. When you compare and try to tear one down with the other, you're just acting like a sci-fi snob, trying to prove that your's is the superior entertainment. If you can't enjoy both, then you certainly don't have any footing to even begin to attempt to draw ANY comparisons between B5 and SW, or even Trek for that matter. And if you do enjoy both, then you won't need to tear one down to fill the other. Besides, there's more important stuff to do, like complain about B5:A Call to Arms's awful music. -- the Random Ranger

Thanks to Moriarty for an excellent piece of work. Lucas is a real genius! George was able to tap into our psyche(where our hopes, joy, and fears lie) and translate subtle familiarities we know in history into sci-fi films we call "The Star Wars Trilogy". It's not necessary for a film to have a complex story or plot in order to say that it's an excellent one. As long as it was presented in a clear understandable way by the director what he is trying to convey and is able to stir our souls(this includes everthing we feel as human)then it's a great piece of art. Star Wars presented to us a picture of an empire corrupted by evil personified, a father-son relationship, a vista of alien worlds and populated by strange creatures. No wonder it's number 15 among the top 100 films of the AFI for the 20th century. As for some people saying that Lucas is only after our money, he or she is a real moron. What do you expect? Lucas is a director and a businessman. Directors make films and businessmen make money. If you don't like his films, then don't watch it - period. Who among the directors today in Hollywood has contributed to the advancement in film making (special effects, sounds effects, editing, etc.) than George Lucas as brought about by a pool of talents and computer whizzes in his Skywalker Ranch(ILM, THX, and Skywalker Sound)? Not even Copolla, Scorsese, or even Spielberg can beat that. In fact, Spielberg has extensively used Skywalker Ranch to create most of his blockbusters; by the way, Indiana Jones came from the mind of Lucas. With the coming prequel,get ready to witness some groudbreaking special effects as he explains to us the beginning of the saga that captured the imaginations of millions and transport us back to a galaxy which he created far, far away...
To JMS, you are a real idiot. How can you compare a certified classic(Star Wars) from a cheezy tv series(Babylon5)? Sorry for Babylon5 lovers but I think it's no match, or even comes closer, to Star Wars. I only watched it twice and I find it hard to swallow as a good sci-fi entertainment. I would rather watch about the rise and fall of a boy seduced by the dark side and his final redemption brought about by his son's faith in him than a group of squabbling aliens trying to live together in their small world.

Before, I get into my condemnation of the first and very good Star Wars film in comparision to Transformers the movie. I would like to respond to a pervious post in which a fellow reader claimed that SW:TPM to be the unifying cultural event of Generation X. Now being a bit younger than many of you out there (only 20 years old), I don't consider myself to be a member of your so called generation x. Generation X became a buzz word when grunge broke in the early '90s and was often used to desrcibe the adults who were 18-31 at the time, that was in 1992, and since then that generation has become passe and forgotten, as the children who grew up in the 1980's become adults. However, if the members of your generation would like to claim Episode 1 as th unifiying cultural and social event of your generation, i say go right ahead. It only goes to prove that your generation virtually gave in to its slacker label. I am not saying that your generation needed to produce a vietnam or a dead kennedy, but the sure as hell didn't produce something positive or with lasting cultral or social impact. Hell, man, if everyone was so influenced by Star Wars, where are all the great film makers of your generation. Kevin Smith- the man holds himself in fealty to people like George Lucas and Stan Lee. So anyway, if your generation has nothing, it is because your generation gave nothing. The way I see it, right now there should be a "new Star Wars" for a "new generation" from a new film maker, instead you sit and wait for the fourth episode from a over the hill, four time director and insist that he, a baby boomer, write the myths of your generation while you stand idley by. How pathetic.
Now,
For what they are- Transformers the movie is a better film than Star Wars: A New Hope. You see if I want to watch a beautifully loud, fun and violent romp/hero epic with no overriding social context I would watch transformers the movie over the first star wars film. Hey don't get me wrong, Star Wars is a great film and a good ride, but once you know the story it just sort of drags. Star wars is a two and a half hour film in which nothing really exciting or climatic happens for the first two hours and fifthteen minutes. I mean come on you mean to tell me that the Darth Vader/Ben Kenobi duel scences is one of the great fights in movie history, or that when obi wan wards off the sandtroopers at the checkpoint or luke and the jedi training ball are great cinematic moments, fine, fan fucking-tastic. But to say that they compare at all to having almost every major hero ruthlessley destroyed in the first twenty minutes in a great war, leaving a handful of an entire race to fend for themselves against their sworn enemies and the looming threat of a planet devouring entity/god bent of vanquishing all life from the universe, you have got to be kidding me. I mean come on, lets just compare the first scences, star wars two spaceships fight, in the transformers, unicron emerges out of nothingness, and virtually rips a planet to shreds, as we watch him virtually digest millions of small robots and a couple of escape pods. Yeah, Lucas may think he is hot stuff now, but little does he know he was already outdone back on August 8, 1986, by the greatest hero epic of all time. If Joseph Campbell was alive, he'd puchh George Lucas in the stomach with his right hand, and be holding a copy of transformers the movie close to his heart with his left hand.

It's only January the 9th and there is 130-some days left until Ep.1, yet why do you, the "fans", inondate yourselves with rumours and tidbits every day. Why do you, the "fans", risk destroying the excitement, pleasure & surprise you might feel when viewing Ep.1 for the first time. This is too much. In ways, this is a cult extreme in that you're expecting Jesus or something on May 21st. Fuck! I love "Star Wars" and I'm dying to see Ep.1, but to put things into perspective - IT'S JUST A FUCKING MOVIE. And another thing, how can anybody say that this movie is fucking crap or amazing? How could people tell whether this movie is going to bomb from it's (supposed) opening scroll? Really? This is absurd. Who knows anything? No one has even seen this movie and the movie isn't even finished, yet there's all this negative buzz going around (from those who have too much time and have over-analyzed the teaser). For all those fucking Ep.1 whiners, here's some questions for you: Are there any REAL priorities and issues in my life other than Episode One? Am I spending way too much time on my computer? This movie will fail to deliver; this movie will disappoint those who are expecting too much on May 21. On Friday, May 21st, there is a movie coming out. On May 22nd, time you guys brush your teeth, take a shower, shave, get a haircut and take bets & see whether you can get laid.

O.k., maybe i'm a slow reader, but it took forever to get through all of those postings. I wish someone would explain to me why someone who isn't interested in EP1 would waste their time and ours with endless stupid postings.
Thanks Moriarty for the great review, and don't mind the people who "can't wait until May", we true fans don't want to see the script before we see the movie.
Oh, by the way, anybody else thrilled to death that mommy finally tucked JMS in for nighty-night?
My turn-Goodnight!

I am here to rectify a few comments I have read today.
First of all the UK has the second largest fan base for this movie after the US. The population of the UK is approximately one QUARTER of that in the US in a country about a FIFTHTIETH (did I spell that right?) the size, which means that in terms of proportional population we outnumber you 10:1.
This being the case, it is no wonder that Brits plague the mainly US run internet. A consequence of this is that we know things about your country while you know absolutely nothing about us.
That said it therefore follows that the people who knew that the trailer for TPM was coming to the UK when it did, had already seen it, either having downloaded it or have scoured the TV channels here where it was aired from Nov 19th. This is the most probable reason that we didn't cheer when we saw the trailer at the movies.
If you pigheaded Americans (FOX/LFL) were kind enough to respect us and show us the trailer and the movie at the same time as the US, I am sure you would have been woken in your sleep by the sound of our cheers coming across the Atlantic.
As for Lucas being angry against the English, I dare say that at the time, given his timid personality he would have had the same treatment anywhere in the world. People everywhere despise quiet and retiring types, and see them as easy targets for abuse, so don't blame the English for Lucas' treatment. If he really couldn't stand us that much then why does he own houses here, and why has been coming here for over 20 years? Also why did he film the Phantom menace here, when I am sure he could have filmed it anywhere. Don't tell me it was financial. Lucas doesn't need to worry about that now.
So all in all your jibes about us Brits are unfounded. We actually see Star Wars as virtually our own, and I guarantee you that Britain will provide the second largest box office returns for this movie. You must also remember that Ewan McGregor is idolized here ala DiCaprio and will fill the cinemas with teenaged girls.
I have one last thing to say. I will be in America on May 19th 1999 to soak up all the atomosphere and watch this movie when it opens. How may Americans reading this would do the same thing if the situation was reversed?

Intrigued by the Padme references. If you live in the UK and watched the Akira (7 Samurai) Kurosawa season over Christmas you might have seen a film called 'The Hidden Fortress'. Supposedly Lucas lifted elements in this film for Episode 4: fleeing Princess, two humerous characters (R2D2/C3PO-like), and a guardian warrior etc. I was wondering if Lucas had used a plot idea from T.H.F. in Episode 1. It concerns someone who sacrifices themselves to protect the fleeing Princess. See if you can get hold of the film to see how this might have a bearing on the Padme plotline.
P.S. Padme sounds like PADMA which means sacred lotus....a very spiritual concept in Buddhism. It also means 2 to the power of 29 but the relevance of that is somewhat harder to fathom!

I just read your cool piece about the `Phantom Menace' and it's made me even more eager to get Stateside and see the film (if I can get tickets!!)
The whole tone of the piece, and the secretive nature of Darth Sideous made me think back to a magazine I've owned for almost 16 years. In the July `83 issue of `Prevue' magazine on page 45 there is an interview with the late great Richard Marquand, and in response to a question as to whether he had seen the outlay for all NINE movies he replied "Yes, all NINE parts. For me the early days of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi were the most intriguing. It didn't matter where the `Jedi' characters were going afterwards, but I had to know where they came from - that's in the FIRST trilogy."
Marquand goes on to mention something VERY interesting which I assume refers to Darth Sideous (a character that WE see in `PHANTOM' but the main characters never do).
"I was KNOCKED OUT! If you follow the direction,and project into the FINAL trilogy, you realise you're going to meet the supreme intellect (SIDEOUS?) and you think, how is it possible to create a man who has such profound cunning that he can not only controlDarth Vader but the fate of Luke Skywalker? Control the destiny of the whole galaxy? You'll be amazed!"
Makes you think doesn't it? How long ago had George have this first trilogy truly mapped out? Let's be honest, he couldn't have had `Empire' and `Jedi' mapped out in intence detail - he hadn't even decided whether Vader was Luke's Father until he'd almost finished `Empire'. It sounds to me like this Prequel trilogy is the real, meaty deal.
And I wish to hell the next 130+ days would hurry up.
See you at Ploovoo's for a Flameout.
Jan Lomona

I just read your cool piece about the `Phantom Menace' and it's made me even more eager to get Stateside and see the film (if I can get tickets!!)
The whole tone of the piece, and the secretive nature of Darth Sideous made me think back to a magazine I've owned for almost 16 years. In the July `83 issue of `Prevue' magazine on page 45 there is an interview with the late great Richard Marquand, and in response to a question as to whether he had seen the outlay for all NINE movies he replied "Yes, all NINE parts. For me the early days of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi were the most intriguing. It didn't matter where the `Jedi' characters were going afterwards, but I had to know where they came from - that's in the FIRST trilogy."
Marquand goes on to mention something VERY interesting which I assume refers to Darth Sideous (a character that WE see in `PHANTOM' but the main characters never do).
"I was KNOCKED OUT! If you follow the direction,and project into the FINAL trilogy, you realise you're going to meet the supreme intellect (SIDEOUS?) and you think, how is it possible to create a man who has such profound cunning that he can not only controlDarth Vader but the fate of Luke Skywalker? Control the destiny of the whole galaxy? You'll be amazed!"
Makes you think doesn't it? How long ago had George have this first trilogy truly mapped out? Let's be honest, he couldn't have had `Empire' and `Jedi' mapped out in intence detail - he hadn't even decided whether Vader was Luke's Father until he'd almost finished `Empire'. It sounds to me like this Prequel trilogy is the real, meaty deal.
And I wish to hell the next 130+ days would hurry up.
See you at Ploovoo's for a Flameout.
Jan Lomona

I just read your cool piece about the `Phantom Menace' and it's made me even more eager to get Stateside and see the film (if I can get tickets!!)
The whole tone of the piece, and the secretive nature of Darth Sideous made me think back to a magazine I've owned for almost 16 years. In the July `83 issue of `Prevue' magazine on page 45 there is an interview with the late great Richard Marquand, and in response to a question as to whether he had seen the outlay for all NINE movies he replied "Yes, all NINE parts. For me the early days of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi were the most intriguing. It didn't matter where the `Jedi' characters were going afterwards, but I had to know where they came from - that's in the FIRST trilogy."
Marquand goes on to mention something VERY interesting which I assume refers to Darth Sideous (a character that WE see in `PHANTOM' but the main characters never do).
"I was KNOCKED OUT! If you follow the direction,and project into the FINAL trilogy, you realise you're going to meet the supreme intellect (SIDEOUS?) and you think, how is it possible to create a man who has such profound cunning that he can not only controlDarth Vader but the fate of Luke Skywalker? Control the destiny of the whole galaxy? You'll be amazed!"
Makes you think doesn't it? How long ago had George have this first trilogy truly mapped out? Let's be honest, he couldn't have had `Empire' and `Jedi' mapped out in intence detail - he hadn't even decided whether Vader was Luke's Father until he'd almost finished `Empire'. It sounds to me like this Prequel trilogy is the real, meaty deal.
And I wish to hell the next 130+ days would hurry up.
See you at Ploovoo's for a Flameout.
Jan Lomona

First of all, thanks for the information, Moriarty. You had a nice balance of introspection and spoilers.
In the timeline, where does this movie fall in relation to the Clone Wars? Shortly before? During?
Finally, Kurosawa Akira's classic "Hidden Fortress" was indeed inspiration for Star Wars,just as others have mentioned. However, go back and take a look at 'The Art of Star Wars,' specifically the preproduction b&w sketches. As in "Hidden Fortress," with Mifune Toshiro's samurai and the princess, originally Luke/Leia were 1 character, as were Han/Ben. This got changed pretty quickly, of course, but it's interesting to see where the ideas began.

First of all, thanks for posting the review! It was great. But you still left me with a few questions unanswered, like: What's Yoda's role in the movie? And what about the character played by Samuel L. Jackson? I would like to know more about those two especially.

Hey kids and adults..
myself being a 19-yr-old female, I notice that way too many boys (read:males) are card-carrying members of the (post)80's sci-fi-related film/literary/comic book club. So many of their given genres are worth my time, money, and energy, but it still hasn't quite approached obsession for me. When the live-action Hobbit is released, will it initiate a "new" Star Wars-esque trilogy/industry? Or is Lucas' real-life cinematic fantasy never to be topped again? Are we perhaps creating a spectacle out of something that is yet another ripple in our pop-culture historical ocean? Not trying to get to philosophical here, but I shudder to think of some evil sprawling metropolis ruled by aging ass-rock lovin', comic book readin', male Jedi wannabes. The vision IS kinda creepy, eh? Let's not limit ourselves, kids. The world's big enough for Lucas and anime. And Silent Bob and Kurasawa, and all the other modern bedtime stories children today indulge in. I love me a good Blade Runner on DVD or just about any given Heinlein novel now and then, and yes, I donated my Transformer collection to my younger brother years ago, but I think it's time to expand my horizons to include "classic" music, film, and literature (which does NOT, by the way, make me a tool for society) and not EVER let George Lucas reach God-like proportions, lest he become... AUGHHHHH! James Cameron! Anyways, with that all safely out of my system, I'd like to ask all you silly boys (and the occasional girl) to chill. It's just a damned movie, and there are plenty of other GOOD movies and books and toys out there to play with. Have a nice day, and smell some fresh air before you hit the sack. Thanx!

I really enjoyed reading the posting about Marquand's interview. What a lucky bastard Marquand was to get to see the whole picture, ie have Lucas show him his work on all 9 stories. I was especially interested in his comments on episodes 7-9. Now I know one of the big topics these days is how Lucas is NOT going to do 7-9, but I still have a hunch that reports of the third trilogy's death have been, as they say, greatly exaggerated--despite even Lucas's comments. What I would ask the people here at this forum is if anyone has any idea whatsoever about what 7-9 could be about. And I don't mean your own speculations. I mean actual info, like the info from the Marquand interview. Anyone? Anyone?

i read this somewhere in the recent past. if there is to be a follow-up to rotj,it would be ONE film. NOT an entire trilogy. being a mega-fan of SW myself, i cannot think of a seventh episode being a viable choice. the story of the skywalkers ended in rotj and thats what this whole shabang is about. anything else added might feel tacked on. if anyone else has heard about this hamil contract respond with answers,please. maybe in the 7th episode we will see luke finally become one with the schwartz.

It could be that SW centers around the Skywalker clan for the entirety of at least Episodes IV--VI. But it's still possible that we will learn plenty in Episodes I--III that may open up an even broader storyline, making VII--IX possible (okay, enough with these silly Roman numerals!) I agree that if the scope of SW is basically the story of Anakin and Luke, then six parts is perfect. But, being the SW addict I am, I can still hope that there is a longer storyline that would make a final trilogy possible.

I have some sad news...some people are going to dislike the new Star Wars movie. As a huge fan of the movies I would like everyone to enjoy the films as I do. I take great pride and pleasure in them, and when someone makes fun of or belittles the movies, it does feel like a personal insult. I've been trying to work on this, Star Wars is not the only thing that can make me feel this way. I'm sure that all of you will agree, that peoples good opinion or bad opionion of things we hold dear, can effect us. I know I'm going to enjoy the new movies, there is no doubt. Some just won't like them. My girlfriend just doesn't like sci-fi. She will never like Star Wars, I wish she did. It would make things much more fun on May 21st, but it is subjective, and life goes on.
Some people are going to hate anything that is popular. By bashing something that is enjoyed by the masses, they think they are somehow above the "heard" and have an enlightened opinion and are better judges of good entertainment. These people are snobs of the first order. An be glad Star Wars fans, for the more of these snobs there are, the more good seats will be available on the 21st. Don't let the nay sayers get you down. ENJOY THE FILM! It doesn't matter if everyone else in the whole world hates the film, as long as you enjoy it. And thats all I have to say about that.

My father works at ILM. If you send me a copy of the script, I will tell you his name and can send you some cool pics. I have seen the rough cut and It is an amazing movie like you said! I have taken note though that some changes were made and would also like to see the script just so I can relive the scenes in my mind. I assure you, I would destroy the copy (if it can be zipped) after i have read for there would be no point in keeping it and since I have already seen the movie, I can assure you that I would not spol anything for anybody. I have told no one anything about the movie so far and do not plan to. Thanks!

First off I would like to address Lane Meyers. I find it a little difficult that you could have seen transformers the movie last night being the film has been put of print for close to ten years and my mention of the film which you attacked was not made until 3am this morning. However, I do not doubt your ability to objectively judge this film, you see you my friend are of the same special breed as harry and moriarity , who seem to be able to praise, judge and discuss the merits of a script they have never read. You my friend posses the same ability, to judge a film based on misinformation culled from internet postings. Maybe you should join that AICN news staff being that your journalistic abilities, honesty, and integrity are as well honed as harry , moriatiry and the rest of the AICN news team.
However this is to all the other readers out there who feel that SWTPM is already an established cultrul and social icon. I am sorry, cultural landmarks are made on the quality of the work and relevance of the work, not the anticipation for the work. So far, SWTPM is nothing, is it the most anticipated film of all time, yes but is it even a blip on the pop culture time line or a footnote is the history of the 20th cntury. Not yet. Could it be ? Maybe. Will it be? probably not. You see I find it a bit appaling that so many of you aleady have preconceived notions of this films greatness, based on the misinformed ramblings of internet moguls looking to rack up hits on your site. As long as Harry gives you what you want to hear, you will keep reading. You don't want to hear that TPM will suck, instead you want to hear that this film will fufill all your expectation and become the crwoning cultral experience of your life. Harry gives you what you want to hear, you want to hear the film is good, everyone wants to believe it is good, so harry keeps telling you it is good. I however, hold out hope, but also can't forget the debacles that were ROTJ, The SE's, Willow, etc. just as much as TPM can be a great film in the vein of ESB, it could also be a embarassing puppet show like ROTJ. I just find it disheatening that so many of you have already made your opinion of this film without seeing it and have already proclaimed it the most monumental film and cultural impass of the late 20th century.

Crow!!! Am I the only one who gets the fact that NONE OF THESE LOSERS HAVE READ THE SCRIPT!!!??? I don't know why, but appearantly they feel the need to lie about it and say that they have to sound cool. Everything I've read and more here is stuff that I could pick up cruising the net for an hour and taking notes. Heck, in 1.5 hours I could put together a synopsis twice as theirs. But my question is: Why? Why do they feel that they need to lie about it? To impress a bunch of geeks who long to have taken a glimpse at a single page of the script? I don't know, but it is SAD. And BTW: as far as I'm concerned, none of them are actually geeks, no matter how much they say it. "Father Geek"? Yeah right. I (and I'm sure some of you) are 10x the fanboy some of these guys are. It frankly saddens me that they lie like this. I bet I could ask them 2 simple questions about the movie and they would get both of them WRONG. I challenge them, in fact. But they wouldn't, because they know exactly as much as WE do.

This was a GREAT article. I'm glad is was almost spoiler free since I decided to read it despite my "no spoilers" policy. This film is going to be truley a magical experiance. I can feel it. Oh and I'm not afraid to admit it even though many geeks are- I DID WEEP DURING THE TRAILER! Hey even Jedi can be happy enough to cry! MTFBWY all!
-JMYoda
www.jedimasteryoda.com

YOU BASTARD!! YOU RAT FINK BASTARD!! YOU TOOK THE F%$@%NG WORDS RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH!! THAT"S IT, UNTIL ALL RATIONAL PEOPLE SWEAR TO LEAVE THIS SITE AND NEVER COME BACK, I'M LEAVING!!
PS Danguard while I agree with you 100%, you MUST agree that it WOULD be NICE to ACTUALLY see a movie, and be able to walk out without feeling insulted, and ripped off...

I have been trying to find Fake scripts to Episode I, I thought it might be interesting to gather a collection of them on
my site. So that we can all see what the fans had envisioned before George has the final word. Besides it might help tide
a few of us over until may.
Please send them to:
scottra@hotmail.com
Thanks a lot.

I'm curious why someone who hates Star Wars so much spends the time to read up on it and then attack other for liking it. Of course if you don't know anything about it then why make unsupported accusations.
I'm not here to bash any other film, because opinion belongs to the owner and it shows a certain lack of maturity to be hurtful about those opinions.
As for Titanic, it was an excellent movie that used special effects to tell a story, but the depth of the tell was no more deep then shallowest plot point of any Star Wars film. I loved the film but I wasn't one those little girls who went back to see it to fulfill their two month love affair with Leo, whose flash of fame has gone out by the way.
I'm a kid, but I'm a 25 year old kid who is currently working on his masters degree in Architecture, and yet that movie I loved so much when I was 5 still sits pretty well now. So please insult me more with your witty kid-isms
So, I enjoy your Star Wars bashing the same as I enjoy the films themselves, for pure entertainment value. So please continue, your doing nothing more than entertain us with your minial shallow points. But I digress to your level.
P.S. Star Wars has way to much of a history for it to not make more money than Titanic.

Some of you seem to hate Star wars, they say it's a child movie.
So simple and idiotic and simple movie. It is in fact a truly simple story, remember George used parts of various legends and fairy tale to build this story. The Rebellion fighting the Empire to restore peace in the Galaxy is like the legend of the round table. The young and brave king Arthur fighting to restore peace in his kingdom. Yet this story as never been forgotten, it as always survived. Star Wars as been created as a fantasy world of that kind, so it can appeal to anybody. George wanted those movie to be like a modern fairy tale, and George as succeded, Star wars is a modern fairy tale, and a good one, greater and better then most movies today, I'm not an ati-star wars, I think that they're is a need to this kind of movie. Star wars is here because people need an imaginary world like this, to maintain some kind of child within all of us, so until next time, may the Force be with you...

Dear JMS,
To Quote you: "There is nothing intelligent about the movies. "
Star Wars is a Romance Narrative. It uses characters and plot elements that resmble great books like Les Miserables, Don Quixote De La Manca, and The Bible. Lucas and company brought ancient archetypes and an age-old story into a sci-fi world.
You can argue about whether he did it successfully or not. But you cannot say that it is unintelligent. I think it's apparent who really lacks brains here.

I saw a really old cut of Star Wars IV, and in the Briefing Room scene before the attack on the death star, there was a shot of an extra asking a question. The extra looked a lot like Liam Neeson, but it was *really* badly over dubbed. Probably because of this it was cut later. He's still there as the really tall guy who stands up after the briefing.
Can anyone confirm this? I know someone out there must have all the variations on tape...
Thanks

I saw a really old cut of Star Wars IV, and in the Briefing Room scene before the attack on the death star, there was a shot of an extra asking a question. The extra looked a lot like Liam Neeson, but it was *really* badly over dubbed. Probably because of this it was cut later. He's still there as the really tall guy who stands up after the briefing.
Can anyone confirm this? I know someone out there must have all the variations on tape...
Thanks

So, Mr. Reaper, there is no really intelligent SF movie? Have you seen Bladerunner? Does it not meet your stringent standard of intelligence in a film? Both the Directors Cut and the original release have intelligence, pathos, a scorching plot. Now you may call me biased, and I am. I am a died in the wool Bladerunner fan. However, it is the films purpose, and the thoughts you (should) take away from it that make it a great film. Think about it. Bladerunner calls into the spotlight the treatment of human created intelligences. Are they alive? Should they be treated as equeals? This, coincidently, 15 years later, falls right into current events. Cloning. People are afraid of cloning humans, and human parts because we are afraid of the conundrum of how to treat such creations. If humans make these creatures, are they human or less than human? For those of a spiritual nature, do they have a "soul"? How do we know? Should these things be accorded the same priviledges as normal humans? Bladerunner should also make you think about our own social programming. It should also help reveal the complexity of the human condition. For example, in that poignant moment when we can feal sympathy for a cold blooded murderer due to his plight.
The Star Wars trilogy are also intelligent movies. Because they make you think. They show the depths of depravity and the height of purity, and convince us that both can be reached. There is redemption, compassion, forgiveness, and the characterizations are compelling, allowing us to ride inside the film and be transported into the moral plane in which the film takes place. The fight between opposing moral poles (good vs evil, for a simple example) is taken right to the audience, giving people moral choices, and showing us (albeit the extreme versions) some possible consequeses of the choices we make. Of course we aren't going to have a Darth Vaders running around crushing peoples' throats with a mere thought. But a smart person will see through that to the substance beneath, and an intelligent movie brings that substance closer to the surface while keeping the audience entertained. Just because a movie has huge entertainment value, it is not automatically disqualified from the ranks of intelligent film. A fun film can still be intelligent. Star Wars fits this description nicely.

DVD authoring is not yet at the level to have anything like what you are proposing your friend has. (i.e. star wars, x-files, id4) The cost of the equipment alone puts it into the realm of only studios having the technology. There isn't even recordable DVD players yet!! So, your "friend" is selling you one huge hook and line here.

I remember reading Moriaty&#39;s script review after seeing the first trailer, and I was so looking forward to TPM. And for the most part, Moriaty was right. There were many compelling and interesting components of TPM. The set pieces and action sequences were truly quite amazing. But the glue holding the movie together was wrong...off somehow. It was a combination of things, and I won&#39;t go give my laundry list of what annoyed me about the film, but it is unfortunate that the script moriaty read and fell in love with did not translate to the big screen.

"I am delighted to report that Jar Jar not only works, but that the Gungans are, as a whole, a welcome addition to the mythology of the STAR WARS universe. ... This script balances the humor with honest, direct writing that gives Jar Jar (dare I say?) a soul. He may be a sidekick, but here

The Script and the final product should be used in film schools as a lesson in How poor directing can fuck up a potentially good thing". I still wonder how the whole prequel trilogy would have been if only Lucas sought out real directors for the job. Directors who were fans of the originals and who could see past the merchandising possibilities in favor of the possibilities of greatness.

The printed word meets the unlimited imagination of a fan. Compare it to meeting a girl online. She can write virtually ANYTHING about herself and send a few well-posed shots, you can chat for months, but WHAM! you hate her guts within five minutes of meeting in person because of "that thing" that can't be experienced through a chat window, "that thing" that reveals how your expectations of perfection had nothing to do with the reality. I'm sure the script felt like a sacred tome. "How are they going to do THAT?" you could cry.<br>
<br>
The ironic part is that it wasn't how they could or couldn't do anything -- because we now know they can do *anything* with CG, amen -- but how their lack of a filter undermined any potential good in the script.

"The question many people have is will Jar Jar work as a character, or is he going to be lame comic relief, a gimmick that will be embarrassing in a decade. I am delighted to report that Jar Jar not only works, but that the Gungans are, as a whole, a welcome addition to the mythology of the STAR WARS universe."
<P>
Classic. I could read that over and over for ages.

I think TPM has aged a bit better than first thought. What I admire about it is that it has the same deceptive simplicity of storyline that the original SW did: "Young boy saves princess, unaware of larger design." Jar-Jar is still a real problem, as is the slapstick and George's own tin ear for scripting, and Jake Lloyd really can't act; it is very painful to see the old casting special stuff on the DVD and see all the kid actors like Mike Angarano who grew up to be much more talented young men. But to be honest, I liked the Senate politicking and labyrinthine Sith/Trade Fed stuff then and now. The problem is George never let anybody else have enough input on the script and casting. At least back in the day he had...what...DePalma and others in the casting sessions with him?
AOTC, OTOH, is still absolutely unwatchable, and ROTS tries way too hard. I think the prequels were full of solid CONCEPTS, since Lucas is such a good idea man...he just didn't know how to execute.

Very interesting to go back and look at this now, after seeing how things turned out with the actual film. I'd also agree that the movie is better than some people give it credit for. <p>
The first time I saw it, I loved it. Repeat viewings caused me to enjoy it much less, but now I'd rate it on par with Jedi. Attack fo the Clones is still horrible though.

The Phantom Menace was a Star Wars movie. Not great, but it was Star Wars.
Attack of the Clones was a technical experiment. A complete and total mess.
By the time Revenge of the Sith came around, it was clear that there was too much stuff to fit into 1 last movie. A hurried, frenzied, Michael Bay film.
The hardest thing about the prequels is that there's a lot of good stuff in them. Enough good to great stuff that you just can't not decide they don't count. Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Darth Maul, Ian McDiarmid, Natalie Portman (sometimes)... I could go on. There's a LOT of great stuff in there, but quite frankly they're the biggest disappointment ever.
I wish they'd never been made.
There. I said it.

Quote from allegate Jan 19th, 1999 "The cost of the equipment alone puts it into the realm of only studios having the technology. There isn't even recordable DVD players yet!! So, your "friend" is selling you one huge hook and line here."... Jump to 2008 and making a DVD at home on your PC cost about 25 cents LOL funniest part from this talk-back : )